Man found guilty of murder - Norwich

A 41-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of a 63-year-old man in his Norwich flat after police discovered the body days after he visited. 

Theodore Lynch, c/o HMP Norwich, appeared at Norwich Crown Court today, 1 May 2024, and was found guilty by a jury  of the murder of Leslie Smith during a trial that has lasted just over two weeks. 

Lynch had denied murder and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The body of Mr Smith was discovered by police at a flat in Suffolk Square on Sunday 17 October 2021 when concerns were raised by a neighbour. Officers found Mr Smith’s body in a state of decomposition which indicated it had been in place for some time but was initially not thought to be suspicious.

A coroner’s post mortem examination was undertaken on 22 October 2021 where concerns were raised the death may not have been accidental. A further Home Office post mortem examination was then completed and identified that there was a fatal hemothorax, where an injury or other factors cause a collection of blood in the chest, consistent with a penetrating wound having entered the front of the neck.

Detectives from the Joint Major Investigation Team then launched the investigation into the death and identified that the most likely date of death was 5 October, 12 days before the body was discovered.  They linked Theodore Lynch to the death through CCTV, witness and digital enquiries and he was first arrested on 26 October 2021, before being later charged with the murder.

Lynch is due to be sentenced tomorrow (2 May 2024).