A man who murdered his friend following a row over a “childish” prank he played on him has been jailed for a minimum of 18 years.
Matthew Higgins, 36, stabbed 37-year-old David Eaton to death during an escalating row between the two that included Higgins shaving off his friend’s eyebrow as he slept, Chester Crown Court heard.
The following day, on September 28 last year, a furious Mr Eaton lashed out at Higgins in the street in Northwich, Cheshire, punching and kicking him, although did not cause any injuries.
Days earlier, father-of-three Mr Eaton was said to have felt “real anxiety” as his “on-off” girlfriend, Emma Deed, snatched his phone, and he then enlisted Higgins to retrieve it.
Sentencing Higgins to life, the Honorary Recorder of Chester, Judge Steven Everett told Higgins: “You didn’t really care about that and instead, while drinking with him, for reasons which I don’t understand, you decided to shave off his eyebrow. It undoubtedly caused him additional anxiety.
“He went to get the phone off Emma Deed and you followed him. I am quite sure that you and Emma Deed thought it was a bit of a joke while he was trying to get hold of that phone.
“What he did was wrong but in part the pair of you brought this on by your childish behaviour.”
The pair later clashed again at Higgins’s home in Brook Lane as Mr Eaton struck the defendant, but again caused no injuries, the court heard.
Judge Everett said: “It made you behave in a vengeful and vindictive way. You decided you were going to do something about it.
“At that particular moment I am quite satisfied that the red mist descended and, partly affected by alcohol, you stomped out of the lounge. You stormed into the kitchen, you got a knife and you were intending to kill him.
“You lured him into the hallway and then repeatedly stabbed him.”
Higgins left Mr Eaton on the floor as he went outside and told a neighbour: “Best ring an ambulance. I have just stabbed my mate. He was doing my f****** head in.”
The court heard Higgins then lied to police when he claimed Mr Eaton had fallen on the knife.
Higgins later said he acted in self-defence but a jury rejected his account and convicted him last week of murder.
He earlier had pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer following his arrest.
In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mr Eaton’s mother, Carol, said her son had a drink problem and “did not always make the best decisions”, but he was a “kind and caring soul who helped others where possible”.
She added: “David was robbed of the possibility of changing his lifestyle.”
In mitigation, Owen Edwards KC said: “This was a incident between two friends living similar lifestyles. In one case a life lost, and in another case a life truly wasted.
“Alcohol has been the root cause of most problems in his life.”
Following sentencing, Detective Inspector Eleanor Atkinson, of Cheshire Constabulary, said: “Higgins chose to pick up a knife and let his anger get the better of him. That decision had devastating consequences.
“Despite knowing what he had done, he denied the charge of murder and forced David’s loved ones to sit through a two-and-a-half week trial. But the jury saw through his lies and convicted him of murder.
“I welcome the sentence handed down to Higgins, and while nothing can bring David back to his family and friends, I hope the fact Higgins is now behind bars for his murder will bring them some sense of closure, knowing justice has been served.”
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