Derbyshire murder probe detectives appeal for witnesses after man dies seven years after stabbing

Tristan Holmes was stabbed in the car park of the former Mitre Hotel pub in Allenton on Sunday, 13 December, 2015, when a single stab wound to the 15-year-old’s abdomen punctured his liver, leaving him needing a transplant.

The initial surgery went well, however, after five years his body began to reject his first transplant – and he went on to need two further operations to replace his liver.

After the third operation Tristan and his family were told there was nothing more that could be done to prolong his life. He eventually died on 26 June 2022 – he was just 23.

Following his death, a murder investigation was launched, and detectives are now hoping that the public can help identify the person responsible.

Detective Chief Inspector Greg McGill, who is leading the team investigating the case, said: “Tristan was killed that day in 2015 – it was only the work of the medical teams that meant he survived for so long.

“The last year of his life was spent in the full knowledge that he would soon die – something that no young man should ever have to face. The impact of that day on Tristan’s family and loved ones has been enormous, as you would expect, as they had to watch their son, brother and friend, slowly slip away from them.”

The stabbing was caught on camera but, despite an investigation back in 2015, no charges were able to be brought.

DCI McGill said: “While the CCTV itself is not of good enough quality to identify the person who stabbed Tristan, I am certain that there are people in the community who know who they are.

“We don’t know the exact reason for the altercation but what we do know is that whoever committed that act is willing to arm themselves with a knife, in our city and use it without any thought of the consequences.

“People like this trade on the fear of their reputation but they have absolutely no place in our community, and I would urge anyone who may have information that can help our investigation to come forward.

“You can contact the force directly, in confidence, at any time and specialist officers are ready to speak to you. You can also contact CrimeStoppers anonymously to pass on information.”

If you have information that can help police investigation then you can contact the force using any of the below methods, quoting Operation Mirror: Facebook– send a private message to Derbyshire Police Facebook page; Twitter– direct message contact centre via @DerPolContact; Website– use reporting tools on Derbyshire Police website or use online contact form or Phone – call 101

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.