A Rochester IT consultant has been acquitted of murdering a former paratrooper at his home.

The jury took just a few hours before bringing in a not guilty verdict and he was freed.

Dennis Jones had told Maidstone Crown Court that he had been defending himself in the belief he was going to die after being confronted by the knifeman.

Jones had revealed how Luke Sullivan, who grew up on Sheppey before moving to Medway, suddenly appeared in his bedroom brandishing a knife - and the two began to wrestle over the weapon.

The 37-year-old of High Street, Rochester had kicked his bedroom door and confronted him while brandishing the weapon in November 2019

He told the jury: "He was twice the size of me..not literally but he was much bigger. It was scary. It all happened really fast."

His barrister David Hislop QC asked: "Did you pick up the knife intending to stab him?"

Jones replied: "No."

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He said: "When I was interviewed by police I definitely did not know I had stabbed him."

Jones added:"I believed I was going to die. It all happened so fast. I was sitting there with my dog and then the door opened and he came and attacked me. I knew he was going to kill me."

The prosecution had alleged that Jones stabbed Mr Sullivan three times - one of the wounds proving fatal.

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