Karan Soni convicted of killing man in Luton who robbed him

Tola Piper, 34, of Bedford, was struck by a vehicle in Dewsbury Road, Luton, on 29 November and died at the scene

A drug dealer has been found guilty of the manslaughter of a man who had robbed him of his drugs and cash.

Tola Piper, 34, of Bedford, was struck by a vehicle in Dewsbury Road, Luton, on 29 November and died at the scene.

Karan Soni, 27, of Hatfield, in Hertfordshire, had denied killing him.

The jury at Luton Crown Court found him not guilty of murder but he was convicted of manslaughter. He was remanded in custody for sentencing at a later date.

The court heard Mr Piper had robbed Soni at knifepoint and then Soni drove a car that crushed Mr Piper.

CCTV footage played in the court showed the car crashed into another vehicle, before rising up in the air and coming down on top of Mr Piper, causing severe, fatal chest injuries.

About £1,000 in cash, a knife and wraps of cocaine were found strewn into the road, which Soni later admitted belonged to him, the court was told.

The prosecution argued Soni "deliberately" drove Mr Piper down and used his car "as a weapon".

When Soni gave evidence, he told the court he had been trying to block the robber's getaway car and did not realise his car had gone onto the pavement.