A MAN has been convicted of stabbing his flatmate to death and then leaving the body in the property while he continued to live there.
After killing Anil Vegad in the flat in Eden Street, Coventry, Matthew Chibnall went on to use his victim’s bank card to buy alcohol.
Chibnall finally attended Coventry Police Station on June 1 – after he could no longer access the victim’s funds – and revealed he had killed his friend.
Officers went straight to the address and found 57-year-old Mr Vegad dead in the living room after suffering a stab wound to the back. There were also two other deep knife marks in a chair.
Chibnall claimed he had thrust a knife towards the chair where Mr Vegad had been sitting to get his attention as he was behaving erratically.
He alleged it happened after they had been drinking during Easter Monday, and it was the following day his friend felt unwell and collapsed.
Victim: Anil Vegad. s
Despite Chibnall telling officers ’If you do the crime, you gotta do the time I suppose’ upon being charged with murder he went on to deny deliberately killing his friend.
But police proved he intended to kill or seriously harm Mr Vegad and the 55-year-old was convicted following a trial at Coventry Crown Court.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
Mr Vegad’s family said in a statement they were devastated.
“Although justice has been served, this will never bring our Dad back.”
They described Mr Vegad as a loving, kind and generous person who would light up a room when he walked in.
“Our dad was well known in the community and well loved by everyone.
“Our dad will be deeply missed but never forgotten, he will always be in our hearts.”
Det Insp Hannah Whitehouse, from West Midlands Police’s homicide team, said: “We may never know exactly what happened in that flat which led to Mr Vegad being fatally stabbed.
“We believe he thrust the knife deep into the chair twice and then into Mr Vegad.
“Chibnall could have immediately called emergency services and potentially saved his friend’s life.
“However, he just let Mr Vegad die and stole his card to buy alcohol in the weeks after his death.
“We were able to prove he intended to kill or seriously harm Mr Vegad, as a result he now faces a life sentence for murder.”
