Bullied 'gofer' killed his boss

A "gofer" who was goaded into stabbing dead his boss has been jailed for six-and-a-half years for manslaughter.

Stewart Steele, 38, had endured months of torment and humiliation at the hands of Derek Andrews, St Albans Crown Court was told.

Steele, who stabbed Mr Andrews six times, was found not guilty of his murder but guilty of manslaughter last month.

Steele, of Carmelite Road, Harrow Weald, Middlesex, had told the jury he had killed his former friend fearing he was about to be attacked.

I heard him say 'Help me, help me. I'm dying' Mr Andrew's girlfriend Angela Baker

The jury was told Mr Andrews' dying words as he was stabbed by Steele had been heard by his girlfriend on her mobile phone.

Angela Baker, 26, who lived with Mr Andrews in Luton, Bedfordshire, was at work when she answered her phone to hear her 33-year-old boyfriend.

She told the jury: "I heard him say 'Help me, help me. I'm dying' and then screaming 'No!' " before the line went dead.

The court was told Steele had been working for Mr Andrews' Harrow-based roofing business as "gofer, driver, fetcher and dog's body".

Underworld enforcer

The jury heard Mr Andrews, though much smaller than the 6 ft 3 in tall Steele, would bully, humiliate and torment him.

Mr Andrews had worked as an underworld enforcer and debt collector.

He had attacked people with baseball bats, bottles, knives and even axes and had been banned from local pubs because of his behaviour.

You ended up goaded into attacking him with fatal consequences Judge Findlay Baker

Steele eventually stabbed him during a struggle.

He accepted he inflicted all six wounds, but claimed he had no memory of holding the knife.

Before sentence was passed on Friday Stephen Mejzner, defending, said the attack was unpremeditated.

He said the police evidence to the jury had been that the dead man was "violent, dangerous and unpredictable".

Judge Findlay Baker told Steele: "You ended up goaded into attacking him with fatal consequences."

Steele was jailed for six-and-a-half years for manslaughter and for 12 months to run consecutively for perverting the course of justice.