A London court has sentenced a 36-year-old man to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing his friend during an argument over money.
Fawaz Abdulkareem was convicted of murdering 32-year-old Daniel Manuel after a dispute at a flat in Vauxhall, south London, escalated into violence.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Saturday that Abdulkareem was found guilty of murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place following a trial at Croydon Crown Court.
The court sentenced him on Friday to life imprisonment, ordering that he serve a minimum of 17 years before becoming eligible for parole.
According to investigators, the fatal confrontation stemmed from a disagreement over a debt Abdulkareem owed Manuel.
Police officers were called to a residential building on Bondway shortly before dawn and found Manuel suffering from multiple stab wounds in the lobby.
Despite efforts by emergency responders to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives quickly identified Abdulkareem as the suspect and arrested him at the location. Investigators later discovered that he had attempted to dispose of the murder weapon by throwing it from a 14th-floor window.
During the trial, Abdulkareem claimed he acted in self-defence.
However, prosecutors presented evidence indicating that Manuel was likely stabbed while his back was turned, a claim the jury accepted in reaching a unanimous guilty verdict.
Detective Inspector Luke Hampton, who led the investigation, described the killing as a senseless act of violence.
“Daniel was murdered in a moment of extreme violence by a man he believed was his friend,” Hampton said.
He added that the defendant attempted to mislead detectives by falsely claiming that Manuel had attacked him first.
“Abdulkareem tried to deceive police and dispose of the weapon, but detectives uncovered the truth and secured justice for Daniel and his family,” he said.
The victim’s wife, Zulal, spoke movingly about the impact of the tragedy.
“Daniel was not just my husband; he was my partner, my home and the person I built my life around,” she said.
“Losing him in such a violent and sudden way has completely shattered my world.”
She said the loss had affected every aspect of her life and left her struggling to cope with the emotional, physical and financial consequences of his death.
Police said the two men had spent the evening at a nightclub before returning to the flat, where the disagreement turned fatal.
With the conviction secured, investigators said they hope the verdict will provide some measure of comfort to Manuel’s loved ones, even as they continue to live with the pain of his loss.
