'Dangerous' man jailed for Lawford knife murder

John Comer, 46, died in hospital after being stabbed in the chest and stomach

A "dangerous and unpredictable" man has been jailed for life after a vicious knife attack.

John Comer, 46, died in hospital after he was found collapsed in Barker Close, Lawford, near Manningtree, in 2017.

Patrick Chandler, 45, of no fixed address, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to at least 20 years in jail.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard the two men had planned to steal cannabis from an address in Lawford but the motive for the attack was not known.

The jury was told they had left a property in Bendalls Court, Manningtree at about 02:00 GMT on 1 December.

CCTV pictures recorded 15 minutes later showed Mr Comer lying on the floor in Barker Close with another man seen stepping over him before throwing an item on the floor.

Patrick Chandler has not given the victim's family "all the answers they are looking for"

A member of the public found Mr Comer, from Clacton, injured and emergency services arrived at 05:15.

Paramedics found a blade in his clothing and the knife handle nearby, which had snapped off.

A post-mortem examination confirmed he had suffered two stab wounds - one to his chest and one to his abdomen.

Det Ch Insp Stephen Jennings said: "Patrick Chandler is a dangerous man whose violent unpredictability led him to stab John Comer for a reason which still has not become clear.

"Because Chandler has not admitted his guilt, he has made Mr Comer's family go through the ordeal of a trial but has not given them all the answers they are looking for."

The victim, John Comer, 46, was found collapsed in Barker Close, Lawford