Man guilty of teenager's murder

Peter Connolly, 31, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday

A 31-year-old man has been convicted of the murder of an 18-year-old who was stabbed to death in Sheerness, Kent.

Peter Connolly, a painter and decorator of Carisbrooke Gardens, Peckham, south-east London, was found guilty of killing Christopher Alaneme, in 2006.

He was also found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to taxi driver Mark Davies.

Andrew Giblin, 28, and Terence Beaney, 25, also from London, were cleared of all charges at Maidstone Crown Court.

Two other men, who were formally acquitted of murder last month, had been standing trial with Mr Giblin, a bank worker of Commercial Way in Peckham, and Mr Beaney, a plasterer of Rideout Street, Woolwich.

The judge ordered the jury to return a not guilty verdict regarding brothers Sean Duhig, 23, and Gerry Duhig, 27, both plasterers of Melbury Drive, in Camberwell.

Connolly will be sentenced on Tuesday.

During the trial, the court heard evidence that Mr Alaneme was chased by a group of men, after one of them was rebuked for an alleged racist comment about the victim, on 21 April 2006.

Christopher Alaneme died when a knife penetrated his liver

He died after a knife penetrated his liver.

Jurors also heard how Mr Davies had been sitting outside Bar One, in Sheerness town centre, on the Isle of Sheppey, when he saw the incident which resulted in the fatal stabbing.

He was stabbed five times resulting in severe injuries.

Speaking after the nine-week trial, Det Ch Insp Jon Bumpus said: "These senseless tragedies occur when people go out carrying knives.

"Christopher's family have been robbed of a son, brother and friend.

"Mark will suffer from his injuries for the rest of his life. Our thoughts today are with them and Christopher."