Teen mum guilty of stabbing father-of-two to death in Tunstall

THE teenage mother of a baby which died after being found face down on a sofa is facing life in prison after being convicted of murdering a father-of-two.

The Sentinel can today reveal Sheree Smith was mum to Alfie, the baby at the centre of a serious case review earlier this year.

Smith, aged 19, of no fixed address, was yesterday found guilty of murdering Andreas Fantousi at Stafford Crown Court following a three-and-a-half week trial.

Mr Fantousi suffered two stab wounds to his neck, one which fatally cut his jugular vein, during a fight in Bond Street, Tunstall, where he lived with his girlfriend.

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Michael Gordon, aged 22, who lived opposite Mr Fantousi and was Smith's boyfriend at the time of the incident, was found guilty of manslaughter by the jury on its sixth day of deliberations.

Sophie Manning, aged 19, also of no fixed address, was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter.

Ricky Gregory, who lived with Gordon in Bond Street, will face a retrial next year after the jury failed to reach a verdict on the 23-year-old.

All four defendants, who had denied murder, were also convicted of violent disorder.

Mr Fantousi, right, and his partner Natasha Maclean became involved in a row with the four defendants shortly after 10pm on November 22.

The 30-year-old suffered more than 20 injuries, caused by punches, kicks and stamps from the defendants.

The court heard Smith approached Mr Fantousi with a kitchen knife in her left hand and a broken bottle in her right hand and swung at his neck twice, causing him to fall to the floor.

Yesterday, Smith had to be stopped by security after trying to escape when it was announced she had been found guilty of murder by a majority of 10 to two.

Speaking after the trial, senior investigating officer DI Guy Titchener said: "This has been a very difficult and complicated case to investigate.

"What started as a verbal disagreement quickly escalated out of control and ultimately a man lost his life. I hope today's guilty verdicts bring some comfort to the family and friends of Mr Fantousi."

Alfie was just three months old when he stopped breathing after he had been lying with his sleeping father early last year. He was re-homed with specialist foster carers, but died five months later.

Police were called to several incidents of domestic violence and other disturbances in the months before the incident, but the parents were allowed to keep their son.

On one winter's night, Smith and Alfie were found by ambulance staff in the street and Alfie was taken to hospital. Smith also had a previous conviction for being drunk in charge of a child.

Smith, Gordon and Manning were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on September 5.