Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a man who was knifed to death at a party.

Paul Fletcher, 31, was stabbed by his girlfiend Hannah Sindrey at a flat in Worcester Drive, Rayleigh, shortly before 1am on January 1, 2020 Today his killer was found guilty after a trial at Basildon Crown Court. After almost 14 hours of deliberations, a jury at Basildon Crown Court today found Sindrey guilty of murder. She will be sentenced at the same court tomorrow.

Miss Blackwell was found not guilty of murder and will be released immediately.

In a statement, Mr Fletcher’s family said: “Our family have been devastated and are heartbroken following the death of Paul ‘Dod’ Fletcher.

“On the fateful night that his life ended, it destroyed so many other lives as well.

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“Dod was a big part of everyone’s life. He was loved deeply by our family. He was a son, brother and father. His death has left us broken.”

They added: ‘We would like to thank the ambulance service for their efforts on the night Dod died. We also want to thank the detectives involved in the investigation for all their hard work, in particular, the support and understanding of our family liaison officer.”

Echo:

Senior investigating officer Julie Gowen, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “This has been a challenging and intensive investigation as my team tirelessly pieced together the hours and minutes which led up to the death of Mr Fletcher in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

“Sindrey’s actions have not only destroyed the lives of Paul’s family and friends, but also her own family.

“Today’s outcome can never bring Paul back, but I hope it can bring his family some justice, and can give them some peace to allow them to move forward with their lives.”