An 83-year-old man has been convicted of murdering his nephew and setting fire to a property following a dispute over a £20,000 inheritance. Alan Wotton, who was 81 at the time of the incident, stabbed his nephew, 65-year-old Andrew Avery, eleven times before deliberately starting fires at the house in Gosport, Hampshire, on November 29, 2024.
Wotton was staying in the home of his late sister, June, following her death. He believed his nephew, Andrew Avery, was withholding an inheritance of £20,000 that June had left for him. Despite Avery arranging alternative accommodation for his uncle and assisting him with moving out, Wotton attacked him with a kitchen knife. Avery died from his injuries.
After the stabbing, Wotton set fire to the property. Fire investigators identified three separate fire origins, confirming the blaze was deliberately started. Members of the public alerted emergency services upon seeing smoke emanating from the address.
During the trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, Wotton admitted to arson but denied murder, claiming he had acted in self-defense. The prosecution presented evidence, including witness accounts and forensic findings, to counter this claim, arguing Wotton was the aggressor. Prosecutor Jodie Mittell KC stated there was no dispute that Wotton caused the fatal wounds, which included seven to the torso and four to the leg.
Records indicate that Wotton had been living in Hungary for several years and traveled to the UK for his sister's funeral in 2023. His sister's will, finalized by executors including Andrew Avery, necessitated the sale of her house, prompting Wotton's relocation. Avery had reportedly lent £84,000 towards the purchase of a flat for Wotton, using some of his own money, with the intent of looking after his uncle as their mother would have wished.
Wotton's defense suggested that Avery had approached him with a knife. However, Wotton's own statements to police after his arrest indicated an aggressive stance. He reportedly told officers that his nephew was "not man enough," that he had "hit him in the mouth, taken his knife off him and finished him," and later stated, "I turned it on him, the b******."
When questioned about his intent, Wotton told police he had "Probably, yeah" intended to kill his nephew. The court heard that Wotton also called his nephew a "thieving b******" during the altercation.
Simon Clark of the Crown Prosecution Service commented on the verdict, stating, "Alan Wotton carried out a ruthless attack on his nephew before setting fire to the property." He added, "Andrew Avery had been helping his uncle and arranging for his future. Instead, he lost his life in a horrific and wholly unnecessary act of violence."
Sentencing for Alan Wotton is scheduled for October 22, 2026, at Portsmouth Crown Court.