A prisoner who “brutally” and “barbarically” beat a fellow inmate to death after complaining about his poor hygiene and TV being too loud at night has been jailed.

Sasan Rabat, 27, has been handed a life sentence for the fatal attack on his 24-year-old victim at HMP Maidstone.

Stefan Adi was struck as many as 30 times. His horrific injuries included one to the jugular vein, another which tore open his windpipe, multiple skull fractures and bleeding to his brain.

The damage was so severe that he could not have survived even with immediate medical intervention, and his lifeless body was discovered in Rabat's cell, wrapped in a blanket and hidden behind a locker and table.

The prison guards who made the grim discovery described his attacker as being "totally calm with no flicker of emotion".

At Maidstone Crown Court today (March 12), Judge Philip Statman handed Rabat a life sentence with a minimum term of 19 years.

The judge was told the 27-year-old had improvised two weapons in a case which involved an “extreme level of violence” and which had deprived two young children of their father.

Detective Inspector Ross Gurden of Kent Police said: “The actions of Rabat were truly barbaric as he subjected his helpless victim to a prolonged and brutal ordeal.

“Mr Adi suffered up to 30 horrific injuries, including to his head, face and neck, which he simply had no chance of surviving.

“Rabat has never shown any remorse for his senseless attack, which has not only caused immense distress and suffering to his victim’s family but continues to have a profound and lasting impact on staff at the prison faced with an unimaginable scene of savagery and cruelty.”

During a two-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court in September, the convict accepted inflicting Adi's fatal wounds but denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But a jury of seven women and five men were unanimous in returning a guilty verdict to the charge of murder.

The court heard how the savage attack was carried out while both were being held at HMP Maidstone in December 2021 and had occupied adjacent single-bed cells.

Adi, a convicted thief, had arrived on Thanet wing at the category C prison about three months earlier, whereas his killer, who was serving a 15-month sentence for burglary, had only been there for a week.

During the short time Rabat had become "increasingly antagonistic" towards his fellow inmate. In the hours leading up to his death, in a verbal confrontation witnessed by another prisoner, he was said to have shouted at Adi 'You f***ing stinky b*****d. I cannot sleep because of you. Your TV is so loud'.

He also complained, as had other inmates, about his personal hygiene and insulted him by saying he "stunk of s***".

Adi’s body was found by a prison guard shortly before lock-up on the afternoon of December 9 after Rabat had informed him he had cut himself with a razor. As well as having a small cut in the crease of his index finger on his left hand, his back was spattered in blood.

There was no CCTV in the cells or on the landings, but once back at Rabat's cell, the truth became clear.

The scene was described as one of "damage and disarray", with blood smeared on the floor, a chair broken in two, and the ceramic toilet cistern lid shattered into pieces.

Adi, who was described as "a complete loner", was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.

A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

Following his arrest, Rabat declined to answer questions but gave police a prepared statement in which he claimed to have acted in self-defence after Adi had threatened to kill him while wielding a razor blade.

The jury heard that no razor or blade was ever found, however, and Rabat's defence changed to one of diminished responsibility.

Having left Iran in 2015, he arrived in the UK unlawfully on a date unknown but first came to the authorities’ attention in March 2017. He was held in a detention centre before being moved to hostel accommodation.

Records show that, in the years since, he has spoken to several medical experts about Kurdish persecution, witnessing his uncle's execution, suffering from flashbacks and hearing noises in his head.

He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in December 2019, and in July the following year, he described feeling "unsafe and very anxious" when living with others.

“Rabat has never shown any remorse his senseless attack, which has not only caused immense distress and suffering to his victim’s family but continues to have a profound and lasting impact on staff at the prison faced with an unimaginable scene of savagery and cruelty.”

He was convicted in September 2020 of criminal damage and then jailed the following year in respect of two burglaries committed when he twice gained access to restricted areas at the Port of Southampton and tried to board a cruise ship.

Two months before killing Adi, he had been served with a deportation order. He became an inmate at Maidstone Prison on November 6 and moved onto Thanet wing on December 2.

The County Road jail specialises in housing foreign nationals, including those in the UK unlawfully or having arrived by "irregular" means.

Giving evidence for the defence, psychiatrist Dr Vivek Bisht told the jury that Rabat appeared to have developed a paranoid psychotic illness, most likely schizophrenia, and which was likely to have been undiagnosed at the time of Adi’s killing.

It was explained by Judge Philip Statman at the start of the trial that it was for the defendant and his legal team to prove diminished responsibility, but Rabat, who was transferred from prison to high-security Broadmoor in January 2023, did not give evidence.