STAR readers have questioned the justice system after the man accused of murdering Danny Fox walked free after a jury failed to reach a verdict in a retrial.

Hundreds of shocked readers have left comments on social media regarding the ruling which resulted in 21-year-old Leighton Holt from Stockbridge Village formally being found not guilty.

Daniel Fox, 29 died on Friday, September 2 last year after suffering a fatal stab wound on the car park of Sports Direct on North John Street.

Today the foreman of the jury told a tense courtroom that they were unlikely to reach a verdict, after judge Mr Justice Neil Garnham asked if more time would have helped them to reach a decision.

Holt, whoe case was based on self defence, was formally discharged by the judge at around 1pm after the prosecution confirmed it would not seek a second retrial.

The outcome means two juries had considered the evidence but had been unable to reach a verdict.

Reaction followed the news this afternoon.

On Facebook Shaun Potter said: “Absolute joke! What does that say to other people carrying knives.

“Shocking from the justice system! I feel physically sick.

“I'm sick to my stomach. Something needs to be done here! RIP Foxy”

Karl Talbot added: “The guy had a knife, had he not had a knife, it would have most likely just been a street fight and a man might not have lost his life, in the worst case he would have had a more reasonable excuse of self-defence and reasonable force.

“With all the knife crime that is going on as it is, at the very least he should have had the book thrown at him for carrying a knife.

“He shouldn't have been carrying a knife."

Others suggested that the fact two juries had struggled to reach a decision in the two trials showed the difficulty of the case and the complexity of evidence surrounding the use of reasonable force and self defence.

Lesley Hill said: “Feeling absolutely heartbroken for all of Danny's poor family.

“What are our laws when they say that it's ok to go out carrying knives use them to take away a life and then continue to walk free.

“In a town and surrounding local areas where there has been endless stabbings of late with people losing their life's and their families left to serve a life sentence this is the so called justice they can expect.

“Well I am sorry but I am really struggling to get my head around it I really am.”