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My tears for knife victim

3/ 7/2008

A 34-YEAR-old man was this week starting a life-sentence for stabbing to death another man during a row at a gathering of friends in Withington.

Christopher Lynch, 36, who was known to friends and family as ‘Christy’, died at his home on St Brendan’s Road North after being knifed four times.

The blade punctured his heart and both lungs.

Kevin Geoffrey Flynn, 34, of Altrincham, was found guilty of murder following a trial at Manchester Crown Court Crown Square. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 13 years before he can apply for parole.

Christy had been drinking at his home with his girlfriend and several friends on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 2 when Flynn arrived to join the gathering. At some point during the evening after a number of people had gone home, Flynn made a number of comments to Christy about his house and girlfriend.

Christy picked up a knife and confronted Flynn. During the ensuing struggle Flynn stabbed Christopher Lynch four times.

He was taken to the Manchester Royal Infirmary where he was pronounced dead.

Christy had lived with the Clowes’ family for a long period of time during his childhood.

Stephen Clowes, who was said by family to be like a brother to Christy, wrote a witness statement which was read out in court.

It said: "You can't really put into words the effect it really has had on our family and individually we feel like we’ve lost a brother, and mum and dad feel like they’ve lost a son.

"Christy was a best friend and we will never come to terms with the loss of him.

"As a family we cry daily with the loss of Christy and he is constantly in our thoughts and it's hard to bear, the way Christy was taken away from us.

"The way it’s hit all our family is indescribable. He always had a good word for everyone even if there had been bad words. He talked to everyone and helped people with various things.

"The community has been affected by his loss."

Flynn was arrested by officers at The Orion Pub a short time later and the murder weapon was recovered from the barbecue at the pub.

Detective Constable Dave McKee, of the Major Incident Team based at Ashton, said: "This would appear to be a tragic culmination of, for whatever reason, Flynn’s resentment towards Christopher. "