A former youth footballer has been found guilty of stabbing an alleged international drug dealer to death at a gym.
Charles Riddington and three other men reportedly “ambushed” new father George Barker and stabbed him 17 times in a “merciless” killing over a £20,000 debt.
Barker was a suspected large-scale cocaine wholesaler with contacts in Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, London's Old Bailey heard.
Riddington, who was described as a “family friend” of football pundit Jamie Redknapp, fled the scene after the 2016 killing and travelled on a fake passport to Germany and South Africa after the stabbing.
He remained on the run for two years, but was eventually extradited from northern Cyprus last November and charged.
The former Millwall youth footballer admitted to stabbing Barker repeatedly at the Double K gym in southeast London, but claimed he acted in self-defence after the victim punched him and produced a lock knife.
He told jurors that Barker became angry after he berated him for not paying his debts to “three big drug dealers”, who he refused to name in the trial.
Riddington was found guilty of murder but not guilty of possessing a knife.
Mr Barker's family expressed their relief as the verdict was delivered, while Riddington's sister-in-law collapsed in tears in the public gallery.
Two witnesses who were at the gym at the time of the stabbing failed to give evidence in court.
Kieron Keddle, the gym’s owner who found fame training actor Idris Elba, moved to Canada after the stabbing.
Luke Whelan, a personal trainer and kickboxing champion, went missing the day before the trial.
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC told jurors that Mr Whelan did not attend court because “he has been deeply affected and troubled by what he saw and he is in fear”.
In his defence, Riddington said Barker owed money for “coke and skunk” to three drug dealers and £20,000 to him.
"I said to him, 'George, you need to pay your bills'. I was basically saying you have got to pay your debts,” Riddington told the court. "He just sort of nodded and said, 'I will put it right'. And that's how it was left."
A few days later, Riddington was in the gym again speaking to Mr Keddle, who had asked whether Redknapp would agree to work on a documentary with him.
This is when Riddington said he saw Barker again.
"I said to him, 'All right money-bags? Who owes this 20 grand then, George?'” he said. "I said to him, 'I tell you what you need to do, you need to stop going out buying champagne with other people's money. You need to put your money indoors to that baby you have'."
The former footballer denied lying in wait to ambush the victim.
He told jurors he did not hand himself in to police because he did not want to implicate the three drug dealers, who he feared could turn violent and target his family.
When police searched Riddington’s home in Orpington, Kent, they uncovered a stun gun, knife, tear gas spray, false documents and a Rolex watch hidden in an extractor fan in the kitchen, the jury was told.
Officers also said they received “reliable” information after Barker’s death to show he had been involved in the importation and supply of cocaine into southeast England and had been involved in a dispute over a debt.
The day before he was killed, Barker was said to have been trying to source a gun at a travellers' site, it was claimed.
Riddington was remanded into custody to be sentenced on 20 September.
As he was led from the dock, he said: "I hope you are satisfied."
Agencies contributed to this report
