A man murdered his love rival after having sex all night with his girlfriend, a court has been told today. Ashley King stabbed Gareth Atkinson in the neck after the pair had been involved in “a long-standing dispute” over two women, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Murdered Gareth Atkinson with Jade Walker-Saunders
Doorman Atkinson, 25, from from Kirklees, West Yorks, was attacked with a kitchen knife in the doorway of his girlfriend Jade Walker-Saunder’s Huddersfield flat on May 8 this year.
Examiner Live reports that witnesses testified about the extensive history of the pair’s feud.
One even described them as “arch enemies”.
Simon Kealey, prosecuting, told the court: “It was largely a verbal dispute with exchanges taking place over social media for some time prior to May 2018.
“It centred on not only Jade Walker-Saunders, but also another young woman called Shaunie Haig.”
A friend of Mr Atkinson’s, Sophie Ghaufoor, told the court that a month before his death King came to her house and asked her to tell Mr Atkinson he was going to “get him”.
The dispute, she said, was over Miss Walker-Saunders who the feuding pair were both seeing.
Miss Haig’s friend Amber Prince also overheard King say he had people watching Mr Atkinson and that he intended to kill him, the court heard.
Miss Walker-Saunders’ neighbour Shaun Beaumont said that at 2pm on May 8 he heard her arguing and later having sex with Mr Atkinson.
The court heard that a tattooed man with a ponytail then appeared at the flats.
The man was heard shouting: “Get out here you f****** c***, I’m going to kill him.”
King then stabbed Mr Atkinson through a gap in the door, the court was told.