A TEENAGE boy has denied the murder of a father of four who was found stabbed to death outside his home.
James Gibbons, 34, was found lying unconscious close to his home in Iris Mews in Laindon, Essex, on May 2 and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court today where he denied a single count of murder.
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An inquest into the death of Mr Gibbons, which was opened and adjourned earlier this year, heard that his provisional medical cause of death was recorded as stab wounds to the abdomen.
Self-employed plumber Mr Gibbons had celebrated his two-year-old twin daughters' birthday earlier on May 2, his family said.
They described him as an "amazing father", and the "kind of person who would always be prepared to help anyone less fortunate than himself".
The teenage defendant has been remanded and is due to stand trial from October 4 at the same court.
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