Manor Park man who knifed flatmate 18 times found guilty of murder

Dimitar Petrov. Picture: Met Police (Image: Met Police)

Emil Asparuhov Hristov, 40, was discovered by another of his flatmates casually washing a bloodied knife in the sink with his victim’s dead body lying in the bathtub on August 20.

Hristov thought he had been alone with victim Dimitar Petrov, 29, in the house — however another flatmate was in and heard the screams.

Four of the stab wounds were through Mr Petrov’s heart.

Hristov admitted killing the man but claimed he had acted in self defence. However the court heard how he had planted the knife in Mr Petrov’s hand and inflicted minor wounds to his own legs and arms to make it look like he had been set upon.

Mr Petrov’s mother released a heartfelt statement in response to the trial.

She said: “The loss of a child is the worst thing that can happen to a parent. There is nothing worse than that. My son’s life was taken within a second and this second shattered my heart into a thousand pieces.

“My son had dreams he will never achieve. My sorrow is huge and endless, it will be with me forever. My favourite son, the son I love so much is gone. I will never see his smile again, the smile that didn’t leave his face, the kindness and warmth he had in him.

“I love you my son, I miss you every day and every hour. Can you hear me, I love you. I love you my love. We will meet at a better place.”

Det Insp Rita Tierney, who led the investigation, said: “Hristov maintained his self-defence story in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

“His injuries were said to have been self-inflicted and he callously placed the murder weapon in the victim’s hand on his way out of the house making no attempt to raise medical help.

“I hope today’s conviction goes some small way to helping the family move on from what has been a traumatic period in their life.”