A man has been found guilty of murdering his flatmate by stabbing him to death with a kitchen knife after arguing about a haircut.
Jairo Sepulveda-Garcia, 37, of no fixed address, stabbed Spanish national David Lopez-Fernandez, 32, inside Pat Shaw House in Globe Road, Bethnal Green, east London on 25 February.
The building was formerly a care home for elderly people until it closed in 2018. Homeless people were living there at the time of the murder, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
After a trial at Southwark Crown Court, Sepulveda-Garcia was found guilty of one count of murder on 18 December and is due to be sentenced on Friday.
Mr Lopez-Fernandez had only been in the country for three weeks before the attack. On the day of the murder, he called Sepulveda-Garcia and asked if he wanted a haircut.
An argument broke out after the victim hurt him with a pair of clippers while cutting his hair, Sepulveda-Garcia told police.
Witnesses saw Mr Lopez-Fernandez stumble out of the room, saying he had been stabbed before collapsing in the hallway.
He suffered six wounds including a severe injury to the back of his knee. Paramedics were called but could not revive him.
Sepulveda-Garcia fled the building but later handed himself in to the police.
Cath Carrie, of the CPS, said: “This was a mindless murder over a trivial matter. David Lopez-Fernandez had moved to London to start a new life and this was cruelly snatched away from him.
“Mr Lopez-Fernandez had only been in the country for three weeks and was not armed when he went to Sepulveda-Garcia’s room and offered to give him a haircut. He could not have predicted the violence that would ensue.
“Although nothing can bring their loved one back, I hope this conviction provides some comfort to the family and friends of Mr Lopez-Fernandez.”
