Teenager found guilty of murdering man in Ipswich in 2024

A teenager has been found guilty by a jury of murdering a 63-year-old man in Ipswich in December 2024.

Officers were called to an address in Hawthorn Drive shortly before 6pm on Wednesday 1 January 2025, where a man was found deceased within the property.

He was later identified as William McNicholl, known as Billy, aged 63 years and from Ipswich.

Following a Home Office post-mortem examination, the cause of death was determined to be head injuries and a stab wound to the right shoulder.

A murder inquiry into Billy’s death was launched, led by Suffolk Constabulary’s Major Investigation Team.

On 22 January 2025 a 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder. He was taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre (PIC) for questioning before being bailed with conditions.

In July the male – by then aged 18 - was re-arrested on suspicion of murder and once again taken to Martlesham PIC for questioning.

Jake McMillan, of Peterhouse Close, Ipswich, was subsequently charged with murder and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

Today, Friday 6 February, McMillan was found guilty of murder by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court. He will be sentenced at the same court on Monday 9 February.

During the trial, the court heard that McMillan and Billy knew each other and had been in contact between June and December 2024, primarily for Billy to purchase drugs from the teenager.

McMillan admitted to visiting Billy’s home on Christmas Day, travelling on an electric bicycle that belonged to his father, remaining there for two hours.

It was alleged that while there he murdered Billy, something McMillan denied. CCTV showed that McMillan was the only person to have entered the immediate area of the home on the day that had not left within minutes. Finger and palm prints, as well as DNA, were also found in the property that matched McMillan’s. Footprints found in blood and on the victim’s t-shirt and back matched those of trainers seen being worn by McMillan in CCTV footage. The clothing and the trainers worn by McMillan on the day were never recovered. The murder weapon was also never recovered.

However, during drone searches, mobile phones belonging to Billy were found in the nearby River Orwell, close to the Sir Bobby Robson Bridge. Again, CCTV evidence was used to show McMillan had taken the route to the bridge after his visit to Billy, with GPRS data from a recovered phone confirming this.

McMillan was spoken to on a number of occasions by the police. Initially on 3 January 2025 as part of the police’s general enquiries, then on 22 January 2025, following his initial arrest on suspicion of Billy’s murder. He was interviewed and gave a prepared statement, in which he denied knowing anything about Billy’s death.

When he was re-arrested on 21 July 2025, he was interviewed again, where he gave a further prepared statement and, on this occasion, said that he had gone to Billy’s address to collect his rucksack. He claimed the door had been open and he went in and found Billy dead on the floor and panicked. He could not, however, explain why he stayed for two hours and admitted that when he left he dumped Billy’s phone in the river, before going home and then to his friend’s house.

Police were called to home on New Years’ Day by a concerned friend as well as by a neighbour. The neighbour was concerned that Billy’s dog, Leo, had been howling and believed it had been locked in a bedroom, while Billy hadn’t answered when she had knocked at his door. Officers then attended and found Billy’s body.

McMillan maintained that he had only returned to the home on Christmas Day to pick up his rucksack, something he said he often did as it contained drugs and he did not want his family to find them at home. He also claimed he did not report finding Billy’s body as he panicked and was concerned about getting in trouble for drug dealing. 

He suggested this was why he had spent so long inside the property before leaving.

Following the verdict, Billy’s family asked Suffolk Constabulary to release a statement on their behalf:

“As a family we’d like to thank Detective Inspector Mark Hughes and his team for their tireless and diligent work on William’s murder investigation.

“We would also like to give special thanks to Sam and Elise, the family liaison officers, and to all our friends and family who have supported us. 

“William had such an undignified passing, so we are grateful with this result and that we can now finally offer him some dignity and peace.” 

Detective Inspector Mark Hughes of Suffolk Constabulary’s Major Investigation Team, said: “This was a truly awful case of a man being attacked and killed in his own home.

“The impact of incidents such as this are huge, with Billy’s family and friends losing a loved one in such horrific circumstances and a young man now facing life as a convicted murderer.  

“I can only hope that this verdict can bring them a little bit of peace. I would like to thank them for their patience during this investigation and trial and for their support throughout.

“This has been an incredibly complicated investigation, with hundreds of hours of CCTV footage meticulously viewed to enable the facts of that day to be pieced together.

“Despite this, we may never know exactly why Billy’s life was taken, and in such a violent manner.”

An image of McMillan can be found here - Teenager found guilty of murdering man in Ipswich in December 2024 | Suffolk Constabulary