A man has been jailed for life for strangling a drunken friend for five minutes because he wouldn’t leave.

Trevor Brazier had three times called the emergency services to rid himself of his house guest who had, in fact, been invited in.

But after quaffing cans of strong alcohol bought by victim Kevin Tridgell, Brazier turned nasty and ordered him out.

He then called police and paramedics to force him out into the street in the early hours - but they found him sleeping and posing no threat.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how three weeks before the brutal killing, Brazier had made murderous threats against the victim.

A woman cycling past, stopped and was so concerned, she recorded the threats on her mobile phone.

Last week after reading on Kent Online about the killing, brave Kim Mathews contacted police and hours later gave evidence at the trial

Now the 49-year-old Brazier, of Northdown Avenue, has been jailed after a jury convicted him of the murder last June.

He will now have to serve a minimum of 12 years and 213 days before he is eligible to apply for bail – but may remain inside for life.

Brazier, who had denied the offence, had claimed he had been acting in self-defence.

But Judge David Griffith-Jones QC told him: “Whatever the precise threat which you may have perceived from Mr Tridgell in the final fatal incident, what is clear is that the force which you then deployed was excessive and grossly disproportionate.

“When you strangled him he was not holding a knife. Moreover he was drunk and immobile.

“Not only were your actions wholly inexcusable but I feel driven to conclude that your intention was indeed to kill Mr Tridgell and that you only stopped when you thought you had achieved your aim.”

Earlier the court heard from the victim’s family who had revealed he was a fun-loving young man who teased his sister when they were picking winkles and devoted dad to his young child.

Sister Tanya said Kevin, who once lived in Canterbury, became homeless after the break up of his marriage.

She told the judge: “If we (the family) could know one thing we would want to know why he took Kevin’s life in that way. Why he felt he had the right to use that force and chose to kill Kevin.”

Mr Tridgell’s mother, Dorothy Jordan told the judge in her impact statement: “We should have had many more years with Kevin in our lives. It’s still like Kevin died a week ago, instead of nearly a year ago.”

Police video footage revealed Brazier telling police officers: "I've never killed someone before. Seriously I haven't. I'm not joking. This is the first time.”

Mr Tridgel was discovered lying on a bed in Brazier’s home and died later in hospital.

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