John Cingelis stabbing: Blair Dixon killed man in hat row

Blair Dixon was "incensed by the misapprehension" that his hat had been taken, the court heard

A drug dealer stabbed a man to death in a row over a £135 hat.

Blair Dixon had been on trial for murdering John Cingelis but the hearing at Carlisle Crown Court ended when he admitted manslaughter.

Dixon stabbed Mr Cingelis, 37, in the chest having falsely believed the victim had stolen his Canada Goose beanie.

The 25-year-old defendant, who was jailed for 12 years, later found he had left the hat at another friend's house.

Dixon's co-accused Alfonso Bitton, 25, was acquitted of murder.

The court heard Mr Cingelis suffered a single "unsurvivable" knife wound to the chest at his home in Brantwood Avenue, Carlisle, on the morning of 12 April.

A prosecutor told jurors Dixon "fatally stabbed" Mr Cingelis as he was "incensed by the misapprehension" that he had taken his hat.

A friend of the victim was also stabbed in the arm.

John Cingelis had the "biggest heart and would do anything for anyone", his family said

Dixon, of Welsh Road in Carlisle, also admitted unlawful wounding and previously pleaded guilty to possessing a knife, which was found by police in a storm drain.

The court heard he could afford the expensive hat because he admitted to being a "small-time drug dealer".

Speaking after sentencing Det Ch Insp Jenny Beattie said: "This is a tragic case that appeared to start with a low-level dispute over a piece of clothing.

"But what it shows is that any use of knives in a dispute can end in serious injury or, as has been demonstrated here, the loss of someone's life."

Mr Cingelis' family said: "We struggle to comprehend the circumstances surrounding the death and how trivial the whole incident was to lead to the death of John.

"We know that John had his struggles in life and we acknowledge that, however he was truly someone who would do anything for anyone and we will miss him forever."