A TRINANT man has been found guilty of murdering his friend by stabbing him to death with a kitchen knife at a party earlier this year.

Paul Mapps denied murdering father-of-one Ian Davies, 27, in January, claiming he acted in self-defence.

But a jury of six men and six women at Cardiff Crown Court today found Mapps guilty of murder with a 10-2 majority. They had been deliberating since Friday morning.

Gwent Police were called to reports of an incident on Marshfield Road at around 7.30pm on Saturday, January 11. Mr Davies suffered a fatal stab wound to his abdomen and was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital where he later died the same night.

Mapps, now 27, claimed he acted in self-defence after Mr Davies came towards him with a bottle of vodka at a party at his house on Marshfield Road, where the defendant claims he was not welcomed.

Peter Griffiths QC, defending, said Mapps was already holding a kitchen knife - which he claimed he was using to cut a corned beef pie - when Mr Davies allegedly charged at him wielding a vodka bottle.

He also questioned the reliability of some of the prosecution’s witnesses, claiming some were “set against my client”.

But prosecution barrister Paul Lewis QC told the jury that some evidence given by Mapps was “fictional”, adding the defendant was a "devious liar".

He had previously questioned whether Mapps was actually scared of Mr Davies, as the defendant claimed, despite him being a black belt in karate.

Mapps had previously said he had been celebrating his sister Dawn Mapps’ 30th birthday on both January 10, and January 11, and was on a cocktail of ketamine, valium, cocaine, mephedrone and alcohol when he stabbed Mr Davies.

Mapps will be sentenced on August 6.