THE DARWEN man accused of viciously stabbing Charlotte Flanagan is known by people where he lived as the "gentle giant".

Gareth Richard Horton, of Walmsley Street, Darwen, was a man who kept "himself to himself" and was rarely seen around with friends.

At 6ft 8ins, the 29-year-old stood out in a crowd. Yet he was an unknown in the local pub the Queen Victoria in Marsh House Lane where many Darweners from the neighbourhood meet.

And few people around Darwen town centre knew of him.

Allan Dixon, owner of the Spar shop a few doors from Gareth's house, said: "He would come in for the odd, day to day, bits but nothing specific. I never saw him with anyone though and he would just keep himself to himself."

An elderly neighbour living opposite the terraced property Horton shared with Charlotte said he "never bothered with anyone".

"He never wanted to associate himself with anyone and you did not see him very often" she said. "It just goes to show that you never really know your neighbours."

The £33,000-house has been up for sale since February.

Horton's career took off when he joined Blackburn with Darwen Social Services as a worker on a dispersed housing scheme.

The work involved supporting individuals with learning difficulties either in their homes or at a drop in centre.

Gareth was known to do the 'wake and watch' shifts at the council's care house where youngsters, cared full-time for by their parents, were left with carers at the special centre to give parents a break.

Lisa Gillibrand, 22, a former work colleague, said: "He was really good at his job. He was very professional, helping out and giving advice. He was really quiet but so nice."

Victim of bullying at school

DURING the trial the Old Bailey heard that Gareth had suffered bullying at school.

Brian Harrison-Jennings, general secretary of the Association of Education Psychologists, said people who suffer from bullying are often timid, reluctant to meet people, lacking confidence and are under assertive. He said: "The effects of bullying are never good -- nobody likes it at the time and the effects can be totally devastating.

"Some people manage to cope with it or avoid being bullied but in the worst instances it can have a huge influence on our personality in later life."