A man has been found guilty of killing another man and wounding two others following a three-week trial.
Kane Kotwica, aged 39, and of Bibury Road, Gloucester, was convicted at Bristol Crown Court of the murder of 53-year-old Matthew Cainey.
The incident took place in an address on Bedford Street, Gloucester on the morning of 28 May this year.
Kotwica had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article but had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Cainey and the attempted murder of two other men.
The court heard that Kotwica had been in the flat with Mr Cainey, two other men and two women.
Kotwica and one of the men began to argue and, when Kotwica grabbed a knife from the kitchen and threatened the man with it, it was taken from him by one of the women and he was told to leave.
He remained in the area for nearly an hour and a half, walking the streets surrounding the address, before returning to the flat, armed with a knife that was hidden in the pocket of his hoody.
The door was answered to him by one of the women and Mr Cainey. Kotwica took out the knife and stabbed Mr Cainey once in the chest as he stood in the hallway of the flat. Tragically this wound proved to be fatal.
The two men tried to restrain Kotwica and also suffered serious injuries at his hands.
One of the men was also stabbed in the chest and had to undergo life-saving surgery while the other man suffered a significant and very serious wound to his neck.
The incident was captured on a doorbell camera from a neighbouring flat, and the jury was shown the moment that Kotwica attacked the victims.
After fleeing from the property, Kotwica threw the knife down a drain, an act that was captured on CCTV. The knife was subsequently recovered.
He was arrested nearby by armed officers and following an investigation by the Major Crime Investigation Team, he was charged with murder and two attempted murders and remanded into custody.
The court heard Kotwica denied the charges, claiming that he had acted in self-defence. However a unanimous jury found him guilty of the murder of Mr.Cainey.
The trial concluded today (5 December) and Kotwica was found not guilty of the attempted murders of the two men, but found guilty of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent.
He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday 10 December.
Detective Inspector Adam Stacey of the Major Crime Investigation Team, who led the investigation, welcomed the verdict.
He said: “Kane Kotwica is a very dangerous and violent individual whose pre-meditated cowardly attack has robbed a family of their loved one and caused serious injury to two others.
“My thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of Matthew, who have shown incredible dignity throughout all of this, not least in court when listening to Kotwica’s evidence.
“It has been an incredibly traumatic and upsetting time for them so I hope that today’s verdict brings them some comfort.”
Following the verdicts, Matthew’s family said: “As a family we are heartbroken that this has happened. This is not how any life should end.
“Dad was always such a happy and cheeky man who loved his family and friends so much. He was always there for the people he cared about, and that showed when his friends were there for him during the trial.
“We would like to say thank you to everyone at Gloucestershire Constabulary that have worked on this case. You’ve all been incredible and got the outcome that’s deserved.”