A man convicted of murder has had his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal. David Francis, 63, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 and a half years for the murder of Davices Anderson.
Anderson, 22, died in hospital on April 28, 2023, after being found injured at the junction of Huntingdon Street and Woodborough Road in Nottingham. The court heard that Anderson died from a single stab wound to the heart, in addition to other stab wounds, inflicted at Courtney McLeary's flat. All individuals present had been consuming drugs at the time.
While it was not disputed that McLeary stabbed Anderson, his defense argued he acted in self-defense due to Anderson's aggressive behavior. Francis, meanwhile, claimed he was not involved and attempted to act as a peacemaker when Anderson was threatening others in the flat.
Court of Appeal judges delivered their judgment remotely on Wednesday. The judges dismissed a separate appeal by Courtney McLeary, who was also jailed for life in connection with the incident.