Man guilty of stabbing Newcastle neighbour to death in fight

Tony Nichol was stabbed in the fight at his flat in Kenton on 9 December

A man has been convicted of stabbing his neighbour to death in a fight.

Tony Nichol had been celebrating with friends on 9 December when a fight broke out at his flat in Columbia Grange, Kenton, Newcastle, with neighbour Andrew Somerville.

Mr Nichol, 36, was found by emergency crews and taken to hospital where he later died.

At Newcastle Crown Court Somerville, 42, also of Columbia Grange, was found guilty of manslaughter.

He had denied the charge.

Somerville will be sentenced at the court later this month.

After the conviction Mr Nichol's family paid tribute to the "much-loved" father, son and brother.

Mr Nichol was taken to hospital by emergency crews but died there

His partner Natalie said his death was "the worst night of my life".

"I tried my very best to save him but I had to literally watch him die in front of me, something I want to forget but never can," she added.

"Tony is my one-in-a-million man, he would light up a room with his smile and would literally melt my heart."

'Not coming back'

"There are no words that can express the pain, trauma and heartache we are going through," his mother Janet said.

"Our son has been taken from us and he is not coming back.

"All we have left to keep us going is Tony's daughter - our granddaughter, Tianna - who is only three years old.

"He will miss her first day of school, her Christmas nativity, her birthdays, her face as she meets Santa Claus, getting her GCSE results and her high-school prom and all the massive experiences you want your parents to share."

Mr Nichol's sister Georgina said he had taken his role as "big bro super seriously, which gave everyone a giggle now and then".

"Tony was always someone I looked up to. To me he was the kindest funniest most protective man I had in my life."

Det Ch Insp Joanne Brooks, who led the investigation at Northumbria Police, praised the bravery of Mr Nichol's family.