A BUILDER stabbed his flatmate 26 times in a ferocious murder sparked by a row over who should clean the microwave.

Alan Knight, 51, stabbed David Bond to death at the house they shared in Osmonde Close, Worthing, in August, before going on the run.

Just minutes before killing crane operator Mr Bond, 50, who he had lived with for six months, Knight texted his girlfriend Julie Crogan saying "shall I just kill him and you find me somewhere to duck till we get a plan?"

They been rowing after Knight left a note on the microwave saying it was "disgusting" and needed cleaning.

When Mr Bond told Knight to leave the flat - that he was the main tenant on the lease for - Knight stabbed him 26 times.

He then sent Ms Crogan a series of picture messages showing his Mr Bond's dead body.

Knight went on the run - first visiting Ms Crogan in Southend where she told him to hand himself in - then around the country as police launched a nationwide manhunt to find him.

Six days after killing him, Knight handed himself over to police in Fleetwood, Lancashire.

Knight told the officers: "He came into the kitchen while I was fixing some dinner. At that point, well, I just lost my rag and I killed him.

"I'm not a murderer. It was a lapse of concentration and I stabbed him lots and lots of times.

"I just thought 'well I'm not going to get away with this so thought I'd hand myself in.'"

Knight was yesterday sentenced to life in prison - to serve a minimum of 19 years at Hove Crown Court having pleaded guilty to murder in November.

Judge Christine Laing QC told him: "You say that he was abusive and belittling, but even if that is correct I'm at a loss to understand why you didn't just move out.

"The killing was premeditated. You intended to kill him as shown by the text messages and you subjected him to the indignity of suffering the effects of the 26 wounds you inflicted.

"You say you are overwhelmed with remorse, but I feel much of that remorse relates to your current situation.

"You claim your actions were unintended, something I do not accept."

After Knight was jailed yesterday Detective Chief Inspector Tanya Jones said: “Knight knew exactly what he was doing and made a conscious effort to evade police in the days after murdering David.

“Knight's reaction was extreme for something, which in reality, was very small. The level of violence was horrendous."

PAIR ARGUED OVER ‘RELATIVELY TRIVIAL MATTERS’

GENTLE giant David Bond had known Alan Knight for about five years through the building trade when they began sharing a home.

Knight moved in as a lodger at the house in Osmonde Close, Worthing, that David rented – but neighbours said they were often bickering “like and old married couple.”

Rows broke out over the general upkeep and tidiness of their home which lead to the brutal murder on August 6.

Mr Bond had been at the Warwick Pub with friend Nigel Crewe. He came home to find a note from Knight telling him the microwave was “disgusting”.

The pair argued and he told Knight to move out.

Neighbour Peter Boyd said their rowing that night was “more aggressive, fiercer and louder” than usual.

Knight moaned to his girlfriend Julie Crogan that “it’s his name on the house and he lords it up” before adding “he wants me to move out by the end of the month... shall I just kill him?”

Ms Crogan thought Knight was joking – even when he insisted “I swear with all of me it’s the truth” and sent her a series of messages via the messaging app What’sApp showing the dead body.

Knight then stole Mr Bond’s car and fled the scene.

First he travelled to Southend, where Ms Crogan tried to urge himself to hand himself in. He then went to Luton, Bath, Southampton and up to Lancashire where he eventually handed himself in.

He told officers: “I left him a little note to say the microwave needs cleaning. He comes home and starts being abusive and aggressive.

“He came into the kitchen while I was fixing some dinner. At that point well I just lost my rag and I killed him.”

Meanwhile, Mr Crewe had arranged to meet Mr Bond on Sunday. When his friend did not turn up he took a taxi to his house and saw him lying on the floor through the window.

Ms Crogan had also reported Knight to police and detectives launched a nationwide manhunt to try to find him and Mr Bond’s red Ford Fiesta van.

Graham Smith, prosecuting at Hove Crown Court yesterday said: “David Bond was known as a gentle giant, known to drink quite heavily in the pubs and spent much of his time in the company of the pub’s regulars.

“At the address there was some tension between them as a result of relatively trivial matters around the house, such as tidying up. They tolerated each other as opposed to got on well.”