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| 'Poem' teenager cleared of murder | 'Poem' teenager cleared of murder |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A teenager branded a killer in a poem displayed around a city centre has been cleared of murdering a father-of-two. | A teenager branded a killer in a poem displayed around a city centre has been cleared of murdering a father-of-two. |
| A jury found that Nathan Dixon, 18, did not cause the death of Paul Kelly, 32, who was repeatedly stabbed in an alley in Bath on 1 January last year. | A jury found that Nathan Dixon, 18, did not cause the death of Paul Kelly, 32, who was repeatedly stabbed in an alley in Bath on 1 January last year. |
| During the trial at Bristol Crown Court the prosecution said Mr Dixon, of Cox Lee Drive, Bath, had launched into a "frenzied attack" on Mr Kelly. | During the trial at Bristol Crown Court the prosecution said Mr Dixon, of Cox Lee Drive, Bath, had launched into a "frenzied attack" on Mr Kelly. |
| The jury accepted the defence argument that witnesses were unreliable. | The jury accepted the defence argument that witnesses were unreliable. |
| 'No justice' | |
| As the majority verdict was delivered after more than nine hours of deliberations, Mr Kelly's family stormed out of court in tears. | |
| Mr Kelly's father, Paul, banged his fists on the pillars of the public gallery and shouted: "No justice. I knew... I would never get it." | |
| More than 20 people were thought to have seen the brawl which resulted in Mr Kelly being stabbed at the Longacre Tavern. | More than 20 people were thought to have seen the brawl which resulted in Mr Kelly being stabbed at the Longacre Tavern. |
| But in the months following the attack police said they had hit a "wall of silence" from witnesses who were known to have been at the pub on the night. | But in the months following the attack police said they had hit a "wall of silence" from witnesses who were known to have been at the pub on the night. |
| A poem by an unknown author which appeared on bus stops and lampposts near the scene claimed Mr Dixon was the killer and that the knife had been thrown in the River Avon. | A poem by an unknown author which appeared on bus stops and lampposts near the scene claimed Mr Dixon was the killer and that the knife had been thrown in the River Avon. |
| In the poem, titled Running From Paul Kelly, the murder was described as "black on white", suggesting a racist motive. | |
| The poet, who did not sign his work, described how he and other witnesses were threatened but were ashamed that "we turned our backs". | |
| But with no one coming forward as the author, the poem was not mentioned by prosecutors as Mr Dixon stood trial. His defence would later dismiss it during proceedings. |