Man sent to jail for stabbing love rival to death

A love rival stabbed to death a professional cage fighter whose pride was hurt when he lost a wrestling ‘‘play fight’’.

Both Dylan Slater, 26, and his victim Tarro “Taz” Grogan, 29, picked up knives after the encounter escalated amid a background of animosity between the pair who had children by the same woman, Preston Crown Court heard.

The defendant pulled a flick-knife from his pocket while fearing that Mr Grogan would take retribution for being embarrassed in front of friends at a house gathering in Blackburn, Lancashire.

In response, Mr Grogan picked up a knife

“This is another example of the consequences of knife crime”

from a kitchen worktop and then Slater armed himself with a larger kitchen knife which he used to inflict four significant stab wounds including a fatal “full thrust” to the front of Mr Grogan’s chest.

Mr Grogan also received a number of slash wounds consistent with defensive injuries while Slater was unhurt in the confrontation.

Jailing Slater yesterday for eight years and three months, the Honorary Recorder of Preston Judge Mark Brown said: “This is another example of the devastating consequences of knife crime.”

Slater was due to stand trial on a charge of murder but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter.