Martin Davies, a 36-year-old drug dealer, has been found guilty of manslaughter after fatally stabbing 28-year-old Kailem Gibson during a dispute in August last year in Newton Heath, north Manchester. The altercation arose over an arrangement in which Davies was allowing Gibson and his girlfriend, both previously homeless, to stay at his apartment on the condition that Gibson sold the synthetic drug Spice for him.

The incident escalated when Gibson questioned the terms of their agreement, leading to a violent confrontation in which Davies stabbed him a total of 15 times. A post-mortem examination confirmed the severity of the injuries, establishing the fatality of the attack. While Davies did not confess to the intent of causing serious harm, the evidence presented during the trial indicated a striking lack of remorse.

As Davies faces sentencing, the case highlights important issues surrounding the drug trade, homelessness, and the volatile nature of disputes that can arise within these contexts. The outcome of this trial could serve as a wake-up call regarding the dangers faced by vulnerable populations and the dynamics of street-level drug dealing.