UPDATE: Bognor Man Found Guilty Of Murder - Sentenced To Life

A man who coaxed a Bognor father from his house, doused him in liquid and then produced a flame that ignited the liquid, has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Aaron Wilks, 38, unemployed, of Ash Grove, Bognor Regis, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 16 December, having been found guilty by a unanimous jury on December 10th.

He will serve a minimum term of 25 years and was also given, to be served concurrently with the life sentence, six years for blackmail, 30 months for possessing an offensive weapon, 21 months for criminal damage and 20 months for arson.

On the evening of Thursday, April 8th, 2021, Mark Stoakes, 60, was at home with his family in Oak Grove, when he noticed their front garden gate was on fire.

They ran outside to see who started it, where they found Aaron Wilks holding a blue spray bottle.

He began spraying it towards the couple, while Stoakes stood in front of his wife to protect her, thus getting drenched in the liquid.

Wilks then produced a flame, later confirmed to be petrol, which ignited a fire causing Stoakes to sustain extensive burns.

He was taken to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and placed in an induced coma. He died from his injuries three weeks later on Friday 30 April.

Wilks, 38, unemployed, of Ash Grove, Bognor Regis, was arrested and charged with murder.

Following a 10-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, he was found guilty by a unanimous jury. He has been remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.

Sussex Police told us how the investigation progressed:

The investigation

As police began to investigate the assault on April 8, two other violent incidents involving the victim and the suspect came to light.

Around 11.30am on Sunday 31 January, 2021 Wilks attended the victim's home address and demanded to be let in.

When Mark opened the door, Wilks pushed past him and into the kitchen of the property.

Wilks was in possession of a meat cleaver and began threatening Mark, demanding to be paid money that he was owed. At one point, Wilks held the meat cleaver to Mark's throat and also slammed it down onto the top of the cooker causing damage.

The exchange was caught on CCTV inside the victim's home, but was not reported to police until after April 8.

The second incident was around 3pm on Tuesday 9 February, 2021 when the suspect attended the victim's home address again with two other men.

On this occasion, Wilks threatened to kill Mark and his family before ripping a CCTV camera off the wall around the side of the house.

On the evening of April 8, the victim's family recognised Wilks from those previous interactions and he was nominated as a main suspect for the arson and assault.

The arrest

Officers began conducting enquiries to find Wilks. They searched addresses and vehicles of people known to be associated with him and seized evidence including a black petrol can from a car, a blue spray bottle from a house and a coat matching that worn by the suspect in the CCTV footage of the assault.

Wilks was arrested at an address on Ash Grove, Bognor Regis on April 11. In interview, he presented a prepared statement in which he admitted attending the house in Oak Grove but claimed the victim had come at him with a knife and he had then acted in self-defence. Wilks remained silent for the rest of the interview.

While Wilks was still in custody, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges of blackmail, criminal damage and possession of a bladed article in relation to the incident on January 31; criminal damage in relation to the incident on February 9; and grievous bodily harm and applying an explosive substance with intent to cause serious injury in relation to the incident on April 8.

Following Mark's death, the cause of which was determined to be complications arising from burns to the upper torso, the charge of grievous bodily harm was upgraded to murder.

Wilks appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on May 17 and pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and criminal damage. He pleaded not guilty to murder, blackmail and applying an explosive substance with intent, and the case was sent for trial.

The conclusion

Wilks was found guilty of murder and blackmail on Friday (December 10). He was found not guilty of applying an explosive substance with intent.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Pauline Lane said:

"This was a horrendous and deeply distressing incident that has resulted in the tragic loss of a beloved husband, father and friend.

"Aaron Wilks attended the victim's home address on the evening of April 8 armed with an accelerant and a lighter, intent on causing harm.

"The subsequent assault was the culmination of a campaign of threatening and aggressive behaviour by Wilks towards Mark Stoakes over an apparent unpaid loan.

"We're grateful to Mark's family for their bravery and dignity throughout, and to witnesses and the wider community for supporting our investigation."