University worker, 56, cleared of younger brother’s murder in row over a PILLOWCASE

Moment blood-covered university worker, 56, was arrested for stabbing his OWN brother to death in row over a PILLOWCASE as he is cleared of murder

  • Mark Oliver, 56, has been cleared of his younger brother Andrew’s murder
  • Footage recorded in the aftermath of the stabbing can now be seen for first time
  • Mother Jean Oliver said her sons had a misunderstanding over ‘pillowcases’

A university worker accused of murdering his brother during a heated row over pillowcases has been cleared. 

Prosecutors alleged 56-year-old Mark Oliver fatally stabbed his younger brother Andrew twice and inflicted three knife wounds during a struggle at their home in Gosport, Hampshire. 

Footage recorded in the aftermath of the stabbing can now be seen for the first time, having been released by the Crown Prosecution Service following the verdict. 

Their mother, Jean Oliver, told police her sons had a misunderstanding about who the freshly-washed ‘Egyptian cotton’ pillowcases belonged to in what was described in court as a ‘trivial argument’. 

Mark Oliver, 56, has been cleared of murder after prosecutors alleged her fatally stabbed his younger brother Andrew, 53, twice and inflicted three knife wounds during a struggle at their home in Gosport, Hampshire

Andrew, a 53-year-old scaffolder and father-of-two, was unable to recover from the wounds he received on February 1 this year at their home. 

On Friday, following a 10-day trial at Winchester Crown Court, Hampshire, Mark was cleared of murder by jurors after nine hours and 16 minutes of deliberation.  

The footage, filmed by a police officer’s body-worn camera, shows Mark with blood on his face as he is quizzed by officers. 

Footage recorded in the aftermath of the stabbing can now be seen for the first time, having been released by the Crown Prosecution Service following the verdict

Footage recorded in the aftermath of the stabbing can now be seen for the first time, having been released by the Crown Prosecution Service following the verdict

Mark denied murder, arguing he acted in self-defence after Andrew attacked him and picked up a knife to warn him off. 

He said: ‘I wanted to scare Andrew off. I wanted to snap him out of it and bring him back.’ 

Mrs Oliver, 86, who lived with her sons, told officers after the incident: ‘Mark has got his sheets and Andy has got his sheets and things.

‘I know it sounds b****y stupid, but Andy has been missing some sheets.

Their mother, Jean Oliver, told police her sons had a misunderstanding about who the freshly-washed 'Egyptian cotton' pillowcases belonged to

Their mother, Jean Oliver, told police her sons had a misunderstanding about who the freshly-washed ‘Egyptian cotton’ pillowcases belonged to

‘I just washed them this morning so I said to him “are these yours?” and he said “yes”.

‘He took them and Mark thought they were his and Andy thought they were his.’

She added: ‘It was bloody pillowcases, not sheets.’

Amanda Westcumb, Jean’s daughter and Mark and Andrew’s sister, was emotional as she told police ‘they are not like this’. 

She said: ‘It’s unbelievable. Whatever has happened, it’s the consequence of a stupid argument. They are never like this.

‘Not in my wildest imagination can I imagine this happening.’ 

Andrew, a 53-year-old scaffolder and father-of-two, was unable to recover from the wounds he received on February 1 this year at their home

Andrew, a 53-year-old scaffolder and father-of-two, was unable to recover from the wounds he received on February 1 this year at their home