A man who repeatedly stabbed a fellow housemate after a dispute over loud music has been convicted of manslaughter.

Richard Wilson-Michael, 29, of Drakefield Road, was found guilty of the manslaughter of 21-year-old Kyle Maher and causing grievous bodily harm on a second victim.

He was convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility as he was suffering from an abnormality of the mind at the time of the offence.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Lynes from the Homicide and Major Crime Command led the investigation. He said: "This was a frenzied attack on a young man with his whole life ahead of him.

"He had a 14-month-old child and had recently got engaged to his girlfriend and for such a petty dispute to escalate into a fatal attack is tragic.

"I would like to pay tribute to the officers who attended and did their best to save Kyle, and to the second victim who tried desperately to prevent the attack on Kyle. Finally I would like to pay my respects to Kyle's family whose loss has been painful and beyond belief.

"I hope today's verdict will go some small way to helping them to moving on."

Kingston Crown Court heard how the pair had an angry row five days before the fatal attack. On that occasion, Wilson-Michael confronted Kyle and asked him to turn the music in his room down. The discussion became heated and Wilson- Michael went to his room before returning with a knife and repeatedly saying to Kyle: "do you know who I am?"

This dispute did not go beyond words and gestures but both Wilson-Michael and Kyle felt aggrieved and tensions were high. In the early hours of Saturday morning, Kyle went downstairs and became involved in a heated argument with Wilson-Michael. Other residents heard the dispute as it escalated. A 17-year-old girl who had been visiting ran downstairs and witnessed Wilson-Michael repeatedly stabbing Kyle.

As she tried to fend him off she suffered several knife wounds to her wrists and arm that required hospital treatment. The injuries have resulted in a restriction of movement in her hand.

Police were called shortly after 3am on Saturday, January 21, to reports of a disturbance at a house in Drakefield Road.

Officers attended and found Kyle inside the property suffering from stab injuries. Police officers administered first aid prior to the arrival of the London Ambulance Service.

Kyle was taken to hospital by paramedics but despite the efforts of medical staff, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. His family were informed of his death.

A post-mortem examination held on Sunday, January 22 January at St George's Mortuary in Tooting gave his cause of death as stab wounds to the heart and neck

Wilson-Michael was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and admitted fatally wounding Kyle but claimed that he acted in self-defence.