A man was fatally stabbed after a seemingly harmless prank involving a shaved eyebrow turned into a violent confrontation between two close friends.
David Eaton, 37, lost his life after a night of heavy drinking with Matthew Higgins, 36, took a tragic turn. The pair had been socialising at Higgins’ home in Rudheath, near Northwich, Cheshire, in September last year.
Eaton, affectionately known as “Bode”, had fallen asleep on the sofa in a drunken stupor, only to wake and discover one of his eyebrows had been shaved off.
Enraged by the prank, Eaton confronted Higgins, who initially tried to blame another friend. However, when the truth surfaced, tensions escalated into a physical fight. During the altercation, Higgins retrieved a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Eaton twice in the heart.
Despite efforts by emergency services, Eaton succumbed to his injuries. Moments after the stabbing, Higgins fled to a neighbour’s house, reportedly saying: “I’ve stabbed my mate. He was doing my head in.”
Prosecutor Richard Littler KC told Chester Crown Court that the situation spiralled after Higgins dishonestly implicated another friend, Wayne Webb, in the prank.
Eaton confronted Webb, who denied involvement and swore “on his mother’s life” that he was not responsible. Realising Higgins had lied, Eaton returned to confront him.
Accompanied by his on-off partner, 41-year-old Emma Deed, Eaton visited Higgins again later that afternoon.
Another fight broke out, during which Ms Deed recalled: “Bode punched Matty who then said ‘I’m not putting up with this’. I thought Matty went upstairs but Bode then went to the hallway and there was a bit of an argument.”
She continued: “I heard Bode shout ‘knife’ then ‘you’ve actually stabbed me. Emma he’s stabbed me’. I asked Matty to let go of the knife, but he refused, saying ‘No, he’s not hitting me again’. I then heard Bode say ‘I’m sorry’, before he slumped over.”
Eaton suffered two deep wounds, each between 12 and 14.5cm, penetrating his heart. During his arrest, Higgins made light of the situation, stating: “F*****g hell, this is a bit of excitement isn’t it.” He later claimed the stabbing was accidental, telling police that Eaton had fallen onto the knife, and dismissed his arrest as a “f*****g shambles.”
Higgins, who exhibited aggression while in custody and even headbutted a police officer, maintained throughout the investigation that he acted in self-defence. He told the court: “He pushed me into a seat and I stabbed him. He said ‘You best give me the knife’ and I stabbed him again. I was scared of him.”
However, the jury at Chester Crown Court found Higgins guilty of murder, rejecting his claims. Sentencing is expected next week.
Following the verdict, David Eaton’s family shared their grief: “Regardless of the verdict, what happened has changed our lives forever. It has been a distressing and emotional few weeks. We have lost a son, brother, dad and nephew and nothing can change the devastation caused to our family.”
Detective Inspector Eleanor Atkinson of Cheshire Police described the incident as entirely avoidable: “This was a senseless crime which could easily have been avoided. Higgins let his anger after an argument get the better of him, foolishly choosing to pick up a knife – with devastating consequences.”
She added: “Despite his admissions at the scene which were heard by multiple witnesses, Higgins refused to accept responsibility for David’s death and put his family through the ordeal of a trial. I hope the fact that Higgins has now been held accountable for his death will help to bring some closure to his friends and family.”
