Man found guilty of murdering great-nephew at party with wine glass

A man who killed his great-nephew at a family party by stabbing him in the neck with a wine glass has been found guilty of his murder.

Raymond Dupree, 68, attacked 20-year-old Ryan King at the bash on a sprawling rural estate after he said other young revellers were not “showing enough respect”.

Mr King is said to have calmly stuck up for the 13 and 14-year-old girls when Dupree complained about music being played in the early hours of August 21 last year.

Exeter Crown Court heard that the party was being held at the luxury Snurridge Manor House near South Molton in north Devon to celebrate Mr King’s pregnant mother’s 40th birthday.

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Witnesses said Dupree, a former boxing coach, was clenching a glass when he punched Mr King in the neck as the party began to quieten down at around 3am.

As Mr King fell to the floor clutching his wound, Dupree showed him no remorse, saying: “I’ve done him”. He then left and walked home.

A terrified Mr King told shocked onlookers that he thought he was going to die as friends frantically called for help.

Mr King, who was from London, was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries.

A jury of eight men and four women took less than two hours to unanimously find Dupree guilty of murder.

Passing sentence, the judge said Dupree had killed Mr King because he had lost his temper with some of the youngsters at the party.

“You killed him in a fit of temper and annoyance because you were not getting the respect and deference you thought you deserved, first by a 13-year-old girl and second your great-nephew Ryan,” the judge said.

“When he tried to intervene and calm the situation and calm you down, you became aggressive, abusive and violent.

“You thrust a wine glass into his neck which cut his jugular vein and in reality he bled to death on the floor of his grandmother’s kitchen.

“The fact you killed him in front of the people that were there, particularly the young girls, is an aggravating feature of this case.”

The judge said he accepted Dupree had not intended to kill Mr King but he had wanted to cause him “really serious harm” when he attacked him.

Following the verdict, Detective Inspector Dave Thorne, who led the investigation, said: “Justice has prevailed in this tragic case and Raymond Dupree has been convicted of murder.

“It was a needless attack which was unprovoked and undeserved with fatal consequences to Ryan King, a young man with his whole life ahead of him.

“Ryan was part of an extensive but close-knit family with many good friends and was liked by all.

“The trauma and loss that family and friends have experienced is beyond comprehension and although a conviction has been achieved, people will live with this loss for the rest of their lives.

“I would like to thank the prosecution team for their professionalism and the family for their calmness and resilience through this traumatic process.”

Mr King’s family did not wish to comment as they left court.

Following the verdict the Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Dave Thorne said:

“Justice has prevailed in this tragic case and Raymond Dupree has been convicted of murder. It was a needless attack which was unprovoked and undeserved with fatal consequences to Ryan King, a young man with his whole life ahead of him. Ryan was part of an extensive but close knit family with many good friends and was liked by all. The trauma and loss that family and friends have experienced is beyond comprehension and although a conviction has been achieved, people will live with this loss for the rest of their lives. I would like to thank the prosecution team for their professionalism and the family for their calmness and resilience through this traumatic process.”