Matthew Smith Guilty of Manslaughter After Fatal Stabbing of Marley Gascoine in Nottingham Underpass

A Nottingham man who admitted fatally stabbing 20-year-old Marley Gascoine in a city underpass has been found guilty of manslaughter following a three-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

A jury at Nottingham Crown Court found 20-year-old Matthew Smith guilty of manslaughter following a three-week trial arising from the fatal stabbing in St Ann’s on 10 November 2025. He was cleared of murder and is due to be sentenced on 7 September.

Mr Gascoine died after suffering a single stab wound to the chest during an encounter in an underpass linking Robin Hood Chase and Abbotsford Drive shortly before 12.50pm. He emerged from the underpass injured and collapsed nearby. Despite efforts by members of the public and emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 1.41pm.

During the trial, jurors heard that Smith and Mr Gascoine were among a group of four young men who met in and around underpasses in the St Ann’s area on the day of the fatal stabbing. Prosecutors alleged the men were involved, to varying degrees, in the supply of drugs, and the court heard evidence suggesting Mr Gascoine owed a debt of around £6,000.

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The jury was told the group had met earlier in the day before gathering again at the Robin Hood Chase underpass. CCTV footage and witness evidence showed Smith leaving the area on an electric bike with another man before later returning alone.

Prosecutors said Smith and Mr Gascoine exchanged words in the underpass moments before the fatal incident. A witness described hearing rustling before seeing Mr Gascoine run from the underpass and collapse a short distance away. Smith then rode from the scene on his electric bike.

The court heard that Mr Gascoine had suffered a single stab wound which penetrated his heart. Prosecutor Kath Goddard KC told jurors the injury was caused by a large knife.

Following the stabbing, prosecutors alleged Smith travelled to an address in Little John Walk. Evidence presented during the trial suggested efforts were then made to conceal items connected to the incident.

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A teenage witness told jurors he had been summoned to the address shortly after the stabbing and later saw Smith with what he described as a large “zombie-style” knife. The witness said Smith admitted stabbing Mr Gascoine in the chest. The prosecution case was that the weapon was subsequently bleached and disposed of.

Jurors also heard evidence that clothing linked to the incident was discarded and that distinctive handlebars were removed from Smith’s electric bike. Neither the knife nor the clothing were recovered.

Smith accepted he was responsible for the fatal stabbing but maintained throughout the trial that he had acted in self-defence. The court heard his case was that the knife belonged to Mr Gascoine and had been taken from him during a confrontation.

After deliberating, jurors acquitted Smith of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter.

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Following the verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow said: “Marley lost his life in deeply tragic and bleak circumstances after suffering a single stab wound to the chest.

“After months of falsely claiming he’d acted in self defence, Matthew Smith has now been convicted of manslaughter.”

Smith remains in custody and will return to Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing in September.