A man has been convicted over the killing of a victim who was left with more than 65 stab wounds.
Mourad Belarbi was immediately identified as a suspect by witnesses following the death of 57-year-old Geoffrey Caton, who was found with multiple stab wounds - mostly to his chest - at an address in Cumberland Avenue, Bury St Edmunds.
Officers attended Belarbi's flat in Lake Avenue where was arrested on suspicion of murder at 6.15pm that evening and subsequently charged with the offence two days later.
Belarbi initially denied killing Mr Caton, despite overwhelming forensic evidence that he had done so.
Two consultant forensic psychiatrists examined Mourad Belarbi in prison and had full access to his mental health records.
They concluded that at the time of the attack he was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning caused by his diagnosed medical condition of paranoid schizophrenia and so his ability to form a rational judgement and exercise self-control was substantially impaired.
He also used illegal substances and at the time of killing Mr Caton was likely to have been under the influence of drugs.
Belarbi continued to refuse to accept any responsibility for the attack on Thursday, July 20, citing reasons of self-defence and diminished responsibility.
He refused to plead guilty to the offence of manslaughter based on these mitigating factors and so a murder trial began at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday, January 15.
However, after the jury had been sworn in and following conversations with the defence counsel, Belarbi decided he would accept the charge of manslaughter and was formally convicted this morning.
Belarbi has been remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court, which is expected to take place on Monday, March 5.
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