A MAN has been convicted of murdering a teenager in Southend.

19-year-old Fabian Kacica died from a stab wound to the chest after a fight broke out near the Forum Library, in Southend town centre, during an attempted car jacking.

Today, Joe Paffey, 21, of Old Southend Road, in Southend, was found guilty of murder and attempted robbery.

Co-accused Aidon Pearce, 21, of Treecot Drive, Leigh, was cleared of murder but was convicted of manslaughter and attempted robbery.

The attack took place in May this year.

During the trial, a teenage girl who had been with Fabian in the lead up to his death told the court she overheard the two men’s plans to steal his car at knife point. 

READ MORE: 'The moment Fabian was murdered, our whole family died'

The 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also told police the incident which led to Fabian's death started with a fight.

Echo:

Tributes - flowers were left at the scene in the days after Fabian was killed 

Fabian had been out with his friend Kamil Mirga and two 15-year-old girls and had stopped at the Forum so the girls could use the toilet.

One of the girls told the trial: “As I was walking to the car they said ‘we are going to take the car. Shall we take the car?’.

“I heard someone say they had a knife and they were going to take the car.”

She told the jury she thought she heard one man say “do you have a knife?” and another say they did.