Man guilty over triple stabbing which sparked man hunt in Bexhill

Keiran Keyte was found guilty of stabbing three people in Church Road in December. Photo by Eddie Mitchell

Keiran Keyte, 34, of Michelson Close in St Leonards, was charged after he stabbed three people during an incident in Church Road on December 7 last year.

He was convicted last week following an eight-day-long trial at Lewes Crown Court.

The triple stabbing rocked the town and sparked a man hunt which spilled over into Bexhill.

One victim, a 46-year-old man from St Leonards, was airlifted to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, suffering from life-threatening injuries.

A 57-year-old man, also from St Leonards, was taken by ambulance to the same hospital with stab wounds.

Believing there was a third victim outstanding, police officers launched a man hunt along the beaches of St Leonards and Bexhill, while the police helicopter circled the skies.

Eyewitnesses told the Observer they had seen a man covered in blood walking along Bexhill seafront, hours after the stabbings has taken place.

A passerby asked the man if he was OK, but was told that he had fallen off his bike.

Police officers were soon on the scene and the promenade by the Bexhill Sea Angling Club was cordoned off.

A 22-year-old man from Bexhill was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

However he was de-arrested after it was established the man was a victim.

He was also taken to hospital with non life-threatening stab wounds.

Speaking at the time of the offence, Detective Inspector Neil Ralph, of Sussex Police, described it as ‘a shocking incident’.

But he said that all the parties involved were known to each other.

Keyte is set to re-appear at Lewes Crown Court for sentencing on June 14.

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