A KICKBOXER has been found guilty of murder today after "mercilessly" stabbing a new dad to death in a gym row.

Former footballer Charles Riddington, 37, had claimed he knifed George Barker, 24, in self-defence during the fight in 2016.

But Riddington showed no emotion today as he was found guilty of murder at the Double K gym in Bexley.

The Old Bailey had previously heard Riddington had carried out a "merciless" attack that saw Barker suffer 17 knife wounds.

Riddington had lay in wait for the new dad with his hood up and wearing a pair of goalkeeper gloves – launching the "brutal" attack in seconds.

Mr Barker, whose partner had given birth to their baby daughter just five days earlier, died just over an hour after the horrific attack.

The gym is run by Kieran Keddle, who trained Luther star Idris Elba ahead of a professional bout in Thailand a month before the killing.

During the trial, Riddington had claimed he had only stabbed Mr Barker in self-defence after a debt row.

He told the jury he confronted Mr Barker over claims he had told 'three big drug dealers' he owed him £20,000 before goading him about spending "less money on champagne and more on his child".

He also claimed he had been speaking about his friendship with former England international Jamie Redknapp and a potential TV collaboration before the attack.

But Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, rubbished Riddington's claims of self-defence, telling jurors he was the one"'dishing out"' the violence.

As he was found guilty of murder, his family cried out, with one relative collapsing in the public gallery.

Riddington was found not guilty of possessing an offensive weapon.

Personal trainer Luke Whelan, who was at the gym at the time, told police in a statement that Mr Barker was "screaming at (Riddington) to stop" before he pulled out the lock-knife and "plunged it into Mr Barker's head and body".

Since the attack, Mr Whelan has gone missing.

A day after Mr Barker died, Riddington got on a plane from Manchester to Dusseldorf using a false passport.

It was not until November last year that he was arrested after being extradited from Northern Cyprus.

Personal trainer Charlie Peters also witnessed the attack but now lives in Canada and claimed he was too traumatised by the attack to come home.

Riddington is expected to be sentenced at a later date.

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