A 54-year-old man has been convicted of murdering his 36-year-old housemate after stabbing him 14 times following a drink-fuelled argument.
Christopher Baptiste, who is pictured above, was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey on Friday, 18 August and was sentenced to life imprisonment – to serve a minimum of 18 years.
The victim, Sonny Booty, was found dead in the garden of the property they shared in Lewisham, south-east London, on Sunday, 14 August. He had been stabbed multiple times in the face, chest, arms, and legs.
Sonny Booty (The Victim)
The argument that led to the murder had started at The Anchor pub in Lewisham, where Baptiste and Sonny had been drinking and playing pool.
The two men were initially getting along well, but around 22:40hrs, a disagreement broke out between them. They were thrown out of the pub and both went home.
It is believed that the argument continued at the property they shared, culminating in Baptiste attacking Sonny in a bedroom.
He stabbed him a total of 14 times, causing fatal injuries.
After the murder, Baptiste went for a walk with an upstairs occupant, but refused to go into detail about what had happened.
He later called a couple of his friends to tell them something bad had happened and that he wouldn't be seeing them for a while.
At around 09:00hrs on Sunday, 14 August, Baptiste walked into Lewisham police station and told the front desk officer: "I've murdered my flatmate."
Officers went to the Lewisham address where they found Sonny's body. They attempted CPR but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Baptiste was arrested and charged with murder. He denied the charge, claiming that he had acted in self-defense. However, the jury rejected his story and found him guilty.
Sonny's mother, Kim Booty, said that the murder had had a devastating impact on her family. She said that she would never be able to forgive Baptiste for what he had done.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, who led the investigation, said that Baptiste's conviction was "a just outcome".
He said that the detectives had worked tirelessly to secure the evidence that led to Baptiste's conviction.
In another news, a man has been arrested for hacking his grandfather to death. See detailed story here.
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