Student guilty of killing barman

The court heard the two men fought over a girlfriend

A university student has been found guilty of killing a work colleague who had been having an affair with his girlfriend.

A jury at Swansea crown court found Matthew Connelly not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Neil Gotheridge.

The 27-year-old bar worker died after being stabbed eight times with a steak knife at the Fountain Inn, Trefechan, Aberystwyth, where both men worked, in March this year.

Connelly had returned from the toilet during a late night drinking session to find his long-term girlfriend Lisa Ridley in a clinch with Gotheridge.

Provocation

A fight broke out which was halted by Ms Ridley and later Connelly returned to stab his colleague.

In court, Connelly remained silent as the jury found him guilty of manslaughter by reason of provocation.

The judge extended his sympathy to the family of Mr Gotheridge who had sat through the week-long trial.

Judge John Diehl adjourned sentencing for pre-sentence reports.

The jury was told the attack happened after business student Connelly, who is originally from Preston, Lancashire, discovered Mr Gotheridge embracing Ms Ridley.

'Good humoured'

Stephen Hopkins QC, prosecuting, said that unbeknown to Connelly, Mr Gotheridge had been having an affair with his girlfriend.

The couple lived together above the pub, but 22-year-old Miss Ridley had wanted to end their relationship.

Mr Hopkins said that on the night of Mr Gotheridge's death the three had stayed behind after closing time for a "good humoured" drink, game of darts and pool.

He said that the atmosphere turned "sour" after Connelly returned from the toilet to discover his girlfriend embracing Mr Gotheridge.

The two men scuffled, Miss Ridley broke it up and sent Connelly upstairs to their rented accommodation to calm down.

Mr Hopkins said that while upstairs Connelly got "angrier and angrier" and started to destroy some of Miss Ridley's most prized possessions, including a photograph of her grandmother.

Then after 20 minutes Connelly went back downstairs again armed with a steak knife.

The court heard that Connelly and Mr Gotheridge started to scuffle again and Miss Ridley ran off in tears to the toilet.

When she returned Mr Gotheridge was lying on the ground, fatally wounded, and the defendant was standing over him.

Mr Gotheridge had been stabbed eight times and had suffered various blunt force injuries.