Man jailed for fatal stabbing in block of flats

Ajay Porter was sentenced on 25 October at Canterbury Crown Court

A man has been jailed for 16 years following a fatal stabbing in Dover.

Ajay Porter attacked Derek O'Hare in the stairwell of a block of flats in Anstee Road on the evening of 11 December 2023.

Porter, formerly of Oswald Road, Dover, was arrested later the same week by Kent Police.

The 36-year-old was found guilty of manslaughter in July at Canterbury Crown Court and was sentenced on Friday at the same court.

Kent Police said shortly before 22:00 GMT on the day of the incident, they were called to reports of a disturbance in the building.

Emergency services arrived to find Mr O'Hare had suffered a number of stab wounds.

He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Detectives established that messages were exchanged between the two men, who were known to each other, in the days before the attack, and Porter had become angry at Mr O’Hare.

The force said that records also showed the two men had a phone conversation before the incident.

CCTV recovered by police showed Porter leaving his home shortly after the phone call.

Minutes later, neighbours heard shouting in the stairwell and looked out to see Porter confronting Mr O'Hare, before he fled the scene.

Forensic evidence recovered from both the scene and a stick contained traces of Porter's DNA.

'A dangerous man'

Detective Inspector Colin McKeen said: "This was an extremely violent attack outside Derek O'Hare's home, which left him with catastrophic and unsurvivable injuries.

"Porter is a dangerous man, who I am pleased we have taken off the streets of Dover.

"My thoughts and those of my team remain with Mr O'Hare's family."

Porter will have to serve an extra four years on licence upon his release.