A “possessive” boyfriend will spend at least 17 years behind bars after being found guilty of stabbing his flatmate to death over suspicions that he had kissed his girlfriend.

Carlos Velez, 20, became jealous of 26-year-old David Martinez and murdered him at a flat in Leytonstone, east London, on 6 March last year.

Velez was sentenced to life at the Old Bailey in London, with a minimum term of 17 years in prison.

Prosecutor Edward Brown QC had told jurors that Mr Martinez was killed “for no good reason at all”.

“He was killed at the hands of this defendant – and was a victim of this defendant’s possessive and short-tempered nature,” he said.

On the day of the killing, Mr Martinez texted a cousin, writing that Velez was acting “all crazy and was asking if had kissed his girlfriend”.

In another message, he wrote: “I am going to try to go on Friday else I’ll end up dead.”

The court heard how Velez’s girlfriend Ashlly Rondon-Diaz walked in on Velez attacking Mr Martinez in the kitchen after being alerted by screams.

Mr Martinez suffered multiple knife wounds to the head, shoulder, chest and thigh, and defensive cuts to his hands.

He ran out of the flat but collapsed and died on the pavement.

Jurors heard Velez fled to Portsmouth, where he changed his clothes, but was later stopped by police.

Velez allegedly had a history of violently possessive behaviour regarding Ms Rondon-Diaz, having punched a stranger on the Tube for looking at her and being aggressive towards his neighbour.

Following Velez’s conviction, Devi Kharran, CPS senior crown prosecutor, said: “This was a vicious and frenzied attack fuelled by pure jealousy and possessiveness.

“David Martinez was murdered inside his own home where he should have been safe. The tragedy of this case lies in the knowledge that David was aware that his life could be in danger and had plans to move out of the flat.

“When interviewed by police, Velez changed his story numerous times. First he claimed that he himself had been robbed of his phone at knife-point and had no knowledge of the murder.

“Then he went on to say he could not remember what had happened. Later he claimed to be having visions and hearing voices. At one point he even sought to blame the killing on his girlfriend.”

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