Verdict announced in Derby stabbing case

17/06/2007

A Jury at Nottingham Crown Court has today found Dale Assani guilty of the murder of Kiers Donaldson.

Mr Donaldson died as a result of stab wounds inflicted following a party at a house in Sunny Hill, Derby on 30 June 2006.

Four other people - Mark Heffernan, Rachel Curzon, Ruben Francis and Caleb Alexander - were also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Speaking after the verdict was announced, Anna Zimand, Head of the Trials Unit at Derbyshire CPS said "This has been an extremely complex prosecution case, characterised by false and contradictory statements from those involved in an attempt to cover up the truth about what really happened in the early hours of 30 June 2006.

"Despite attempts by all five defendants to convince both police and prosecutors otherwise, our case was that it was Assani that inflicted the stab wounds that killed Kiers Donaldson.  We set out to prove that he was guilty of murder, and today that guilt has been proved.

"Once we began examining the evidence it became clear that key witnesses had been threatened and intimidated; and a number of others present on the night of the murder had attempted to assist Assani by disposing of the murder weapon, giving false information to the police and, in the case of Heffernan, trying to take responsibility for the murder.

"As a result, what should have been a relatively straightforward murder trial developed into a much more complicated prosecution case that involved a number of defendants facing very serious charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

"Kiers death was a tragic and senseless waste of life.  Here was a man with much to live for, and it was taken away in the most violent of circumstances.  Knife crime is, thankfully, comparatively rare on the streets of Derbyshire, but we will continue to work closely with the police to ensure that those carrying and using knives face the harshest possible treatment in the courts."