A man who was stabbed to death in a house was described as a "gentle giant" with a "soft heart".
Merseyside Police were called to reports that Jonathan Gibbons was stabbed in the chest in a house on Bridge Road, Litherland on Sunday, October 30. The 50-year-old was rushed to hospital with a life-threatening injury at around 4.45am and died later that day.
A 42-year-old woman, from Litherland, was arrested shortly after the stabbing and later charged with murder. Joanne Moran is expected to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday.
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Tributes to the victim, known to friends as John, were shared by his best friend Stephen Hollinshead, 47. The two had known each other for over 20 years and considered each other "like brothers".
Stephen told The ECHO : "It is very hard to process, I have known him for a long time since we were young. He had a soft heart and knew how to have a good time with friends.
"He was a good lad, a real gentle giant, and you could always talk to him about anything. It's just not going to be the same without him and nothing will replace him."
"He was a good friend and a good dad. He will never be for forgotten about I will never forget about all the good times we all spent together. John I will miss you I could not ask for a better friend."
Dozens of others also paid tribute to John on social media, Sarah Lewis said: "Goodnight John. Lovely man x"
A post-mortem examination found that John died from a stab wound to the chest. Officers confirmed that witnesses, CCTV and house-to-house inquiries are being carried out in the area.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Caton said: "This was a tragic incident in which a man has sadly lost his life. An investigation is now underway, which is in the very early stages as we seek to establish what has happened which has led to this tragic incident.”
"Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 242 of 30 October. You can also pass information via the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org "
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