Inmates tell court how former Stafford mayor's son was stabbed to death

Alex Cusworth, whose adoptive mother is a councillor and was a former Stafford mayor, was killed in the kitchens by William Tolcher, who was allegedly 'settling a score', a jury was told.

The injured man was heard screaming for help and Tolcher allegedly told another inmate he had "stuck an eight in blade in Alex".

Tolcher, aged 51, from Liverpool, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Kathryn Sharples in Newquay 20 years ago, denies murder.He says he has been framed by a Mr Big inside the jail.

Cusworth, aged 37, of Barn Park Road, Teignmouth, is originally from Baswich, Staffordshire and was the adopted son of local councillor Ann Edgeller and her late husband Howard Cusworth.

He was killed by a stab wound to his abdomen on November 26 last year while serving a sentence at Dartmoor Prison at Princetown, near Tavistock.

The jury at Plymouth Crown Court has been told Tolcher was angry with Cusworth because he felt he had disrespected him.

He allegedly stabbed him with a large kitchen knife which he was using for vegetable preparation which had been signed out in his name at the start of the shift.

Mr Simon Laws, QC, has told the jury it was a sudden, brutal and cowardly attack with a formidable weapon. He said it was unprovoked and intended to settle a score.

Three inmates have told how they saw the attack or spoke to Tolcher about it shortly afterwards.

Gareth Clements, who was serving a 12 months sentence at the time, was on temporary assignment to the kitchen, where three meals are prepared for 650 inmates and staff each day.

He said he knew Tolcher as Billy but did not know him well enough to know why he was in prison. Tolcher was preparing vegetables while he was making egg curry at around 3 pm.

He said:"Tolcher came over and gave me a glancing look. I knew it was him. I started to get on with some work. He walked around the side. Eddie was in front of me and Alex was half behind him.

"There was little bit of a tussle and that's what made me look up. I saw him grab Alex's arm. I didn't see the knife going forwards, but I saw it coming back.

"It looked like Billy was holding Alex's arm. As he pulled the knife back it obviously had blood on it.

"I saw Billy lean towards Alex saying something along the lines of 'you won't talk to me like that'. Alex screamed out 'get help, I've been stabbed'."

In cross examination, Mr Richard Smith, QC, defending, suggested Mr Clements had been pressurised into identifying Tolcher by a 'top dog' inside the jail. He denied this.

Another inmate Luke Atherton said he saw Tolcher shortly after the stabbing and heard him say:"I've messed up big time. I've just stuck a ten inch blade in Alex."

Edrick Howard, known by other inmates as Eddie, said he was working in the kitchen when he heard Cusworth call for help.

He said:"Alex saying something like help. I looked up and he had fallen to the floor. I went towards him and he said 'Help, I've been stabbed' I saw Tolcher walking away."

The trial continues