Rochester: George Knights jailed for life for acid wheelie bin murder

George Knights, 19, was jailed for life for murdering Stephen Chapman in Rochester

A teenager has been jailed for life for murdering a man before trying to dissolve his body in acid.

George Knights, 19, stabbed Stephen Chapman in the head in Rochester in October 2020 before he hid his body in a wheelie bin and then went to a party.

Knights was found guilty of murdering the 38-year-old at the end of a three-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court in June.

He was jailed for a minimum of 23 years on Friday.

The killing happened after Knights and Mr Chapman had agreed to meet to discuss the sale of cocaine on the day of the murder, Kent Police said.

George Knights filmed himself at a party shortly after murdering Stephen Chapman

Mr Chapman was reported missing the following day, and officers discovered Knights was one of the last people to have seen him alive.

A group of people who were looking for Mr Chapman at Knights' home in Delce Road, Rochester, called police after seeing Knights fleeing the property.

When officers searched Knights' home they found blood-stained clothing, a "significant" amount of class A and B drugs and Mr Chapman's iPhone and bank card, police said.

Knights was arrested at a property in Parrs Head Mews and was unable to account for the blood-stained clothing and drugs found at his home.

While searching the Parrs Head Mews property, Mr Chapman's body was found inside a wheelie bin in the conservatory.

Four empty bottles of sulphuric acid were found nearby.

CCTV captured Knights after the murder, and a video on his phone showed him at a party with a package of cocaine in the background.

While at the party he had also bragged about killing someone, police said.

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