Teenager guilty of murdering man on Christmas Day

A teenager has been found guilty of murdering a man at his home on Christmas Day 2024.

Billy McNicholl, 63, was discovered with serious head injuries and a stab wound to his right shoulder at his Ipswich home on New Year's Day last year.

Jake McMillan, 18, of Peterhouse Close in the Chantry area of the town, was arrested and charged with his murder but denied having any involvement.

After a two-week trial at Ipswich Crown Court, the jury – which retired to deliberate on Wednesday morning – returned a guilty verdict on Friday afternoon. McMillan was told he will be sentenced at the same court on Monday.

Det Insp Mark Hughes said: "This was a truly awful case of a man being attacked and killed in his own home.

"The impact of incidents such as this are huge, with Billy's family and friends losing a loved one in such horrific circumstances and a young man now facing life as a convicted murderer.

"I can only hope that this verdict can bring them a little bit of peace. I would like to thank them for their patience during this investigation and trial and for their support throughout.

"This has been an incredibly complicated investigation, with hundreds of hours of CCTV footage meticulously viewed to enable the facts of that day to be pieced together.

"Despite this, we may never know exactly why Billy's life was taken, and in such a violent manner."

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