A 22-year-old man has been found guilty of killing a father of two by stabbing him 17 times in Upper Street.

Jurors convicted Reece Williams for the manslaughter of father of two Marcel Campbell’s at the Old Bailey this afternoon following a day’s deliberations, but cleared him of murder.

Williams, of Northdown Street, started fighting the 30-year-old from Bruce Grove while they were both passengers in a white van driven by Mr Campbell’s childhood friend Gabriel Prempeh, who didn’t show up in court to give evidence.

The broad daylight knife attack then spilled out into Upper Street, where a witness described seeing Williams throw Mr Campbell around like “a rag doll” and stab him multiple times with a kitchen knife on May 21.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams of the Homicide and Major Crime Command said: “This was a savage assault that resulted in the death of Marcel Campbell.

“The real motive behind this attack has never been established but by stabbing Marcel multiple times, Williams’ has deprived a loving family of their son.

“No length of imprisonment can change what has happened but the family can draw comfort from the fact that justice has been done today.”

Williams admitted stabbing Mr Campbell but had argued he acted in self-defence by using the victim’s knife against him.

During the prosecution case one witness likened the attack, which lasted 34 seconds, to a scene from “a horror movie”.

The forensic pathologist who carried out the postmortem on Mr Campbell’s body found 17 wounds, some seven inches deep, with nine stabs to the chest area.

The most significant of these stab wounds penetrated the right lung and severed the pulmonary artery, which carries blood from the heart to the lungs.

Williams will be sentenced by Judge Anthony Bate on December 14.

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