I looked at jurors and said 'thanks'

On Friday Mr Lewin, 35, of Broad Street, Swindon walked out of Bristol Crown Court a free man after a jury decided he did not kill Mick Love last September.

Wiltshire Police say they are going to reinvestigate the murder.

Now Mr Lewin says all he wants to do is spend time with his family and return to his job at Avon Tyres in Melksham.

Mr Lewin, who has two children with his partner Sarah Mackintosh, said: "It's so good to see my children again and my little daughter Tyra was so excited.

"She was getting up early and staying up late and is just really excited that I'm back home.

"I want to get back to work now and get back on my forklift and get feeling good again."

But while his life is looking better since being reunited with his family after 10 months in prison Mr Lewin says he feels deeply sorry for Mr Love's relatives.

"My heart goes out to the family but it wasn't me," he said.

"I never knew the man. It's tragic all the way round."

Mr Lewin protested his innocence throughout the 11-day trial and Friday's verdict came as a huge relief.

He said the time spent on remand in prison had been hard on his family.

"When the decision came all the jury turned to look at me and I looked at them and just said 'Thank you'.

"That's what you call emotional. That could have been my life gone."

Speaking to the Swindon Advertiser's sister paper, the Gazette and Herald, Mr Lewin said his time in prison during the trial had been incredibly hard for himself and his family.

Mr Lewin acknowledged the difficulty for Mr Love's family in knowing that his murderer was yet to be brought to justice.

"After the trial it was just relief, there were no celebrations.

"I'm just a normal man. I'm not a bully and I don't go out to make trouble and everybody who knows me knows that."

For the full interview with Mr Lewin see this week's Swindon edition of the Gazette and Herald.

Hugo Tilney