Sachin Hawkins: Housemate convicted of murdering student in row over music

Warning: This report contains offensive language.

A student has been convicted of stabbing his housemate to death in a row over music.

Sachin Hawkins, 19, died after he was stabbed in the chest at the shared house in Hardy Street, Hull, on 15 November 2023.

Syed Hussain-Kazi, 25, of Hardy Street, denied murder but was found guilty by a jury following a week-long trial at Hull Crown Court.

He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 24 April.

During the trial, jurors heard the 19-year-old, who was from America, was "stabbed through the heart" with a 15cm-long (6in) bladed knife after the defendant, who had been drinking, "started poking fun at his taste in music".

The pair were friends living with two other housemates and were helping one of them to clean the house when Mr Hawkins had been playing music, the court was told.

The jury heard the pair were having "banter" and traded expletive insults, which the defendant said had become "more threatening" and escalated to "a scuffle".

Prosecutor Sharon Beattie had told the court: "The defendant called him a faggot. Sachin replied back calling him a bitch."

Mr Hawkins was then stabbed by the defendant before Hussain-Kazi repeatedly retorted "who's the bitch now?" as another housemate held him back, she said.

The 25-year-old claimed he could not remember the events of that night and said he "didn't deliberately go stab him in the chest".

Jurors heard he had previous convictions for two offences, including a knifepoint street robbery in 2019, in which Hussain-Kazi was carrying a kitchen knife.

During another occasion in November 2022 at university halls of residence, he scared first-year flatmates when he "started swinging a 30cm knife" in front of a student's face, the court heard.

At the time, Mr Hawkins had tried to talk him down and students believed the incident was "drink-related", prosecutors said.

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