28-year-old Cameron Baker has been found guilty of murdering Tommy Barton by stabbing him through the heart after throwing boiling hot water over him.
It was during the early hours of Sunday 28th May this year that 30-year-old Thomas Barton from Brading collapsed in the street on Park Road, Ryde having been stabbed in the chest multiple times.
Despite the best efforts of all involved, Tommy’s life couldn’t be saved.
Within hours Baker, previously of Leed Street in Sandown, was arrested and later charged with Tommy’s murder.
Over the past couple of weeks a jury at Winchester Crown Court heard that Tommy attended an address on Park Road to confront Baker as part of a dispute over a former girlfriend, who Tommy had seen out with Baker that night.
In what has been described as a brutal attack, Baker armed himself with a kettle and threw boiling hot water over Tommy, before then plunging a large kitchen knife into his chest, twice. The knife punctured a lung but the fatal blow was a stab wound to the heart.
Tommy staggered out into the street and collapsed. He lay dying in front of his own elderly father who had driven him to Park Road that morning.
CPS prosecutors argued the fatal wounds inflicted by Baker went beyond any reasonable expectation of self-defence, which had been claimed by Baker throughout the proceedings. Baker had claimed that he only stabbed Tommy’s legs.
A kitchen knife was found tucked under a wheelie bin, which a prosecution expert determined was likely used to inflict the fatal wounds on Mr Barton.
Closing statements were read by Judge Mrs Justice Sara Cockerill on Monday and today, after deliberating for 14 hours and 12 minutes, the jury found Cameron Baker guilty of murder.
A second man who was also charged with murder – 28-year-old Rio Scott of Park Road in Ryde – has been found not guilty by the jury. He has been released as a free man.
Detective Chief Inspector Andrea Douglas, senior investigating officer for the case, has today said:
“Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Tommy Barton who was tragically killed by Baker.
“Baker demonstrated a shocking display of extreme violence that has not only led to a young man losing his life, but has destroyed the lives of many others as a result.
“Today’s verdict is a reflection of the commitment of a large number of police officers and staff who worked tirelessly to investigate this incident and bring a case to the Crown Prosecution Service. The collective efforts of all involved in seeking justice for Tommy and his family have now resulted in the man responsible for his murder being convicted.”
Ruth Sands, CPS Wessex Senior Crown Prosecutor, has said:
“This case is yet another tragic example of the fatal consequences of violence involving knives. “This was a difficult and complex prosecution as we needed to prove Baker intended to kill Thomas Barton. “Our prosecutors pieced together compelling witness testimony with forensic evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that this was not self-defence – this was a cold-blooded murder. “Mr Barton, a young father, was unarmed when he confronted Baker. For him to be murdered so swiftly and brutally underlines the permanency that knife crime can have on a person’s life. “Let this case be stark a reminder to those who use knives for violence – you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Cameron Baker is to be sentenced for the murder of Tommy Barton on Tuesday (12th December). 
