A man who tried to flee the country after stabbing a young father 17 times has been jailed for life.

Appearing at the Old Bailey today Charles Riddington, of Orpington, was sentenced to a minimum of 19 years for killing 24-year-old George Barker, from South Darenth, in November 2016.

The 37-year-old was found guilty on September 5 of murdering Mr Barker outside Double K Gym in Bexley.

Riddington went on the run for two years before eventually being tracked down by police in northern Cyprus, where he was arrested and deported to southern Cyprus before being brought back to the UK.

Witnesses told detectives from the Metropolitan Police they had heard Riddington accuse Mr Barker of "going behind his back" before punching him repeatedly, drawing a knife and stabbing him in the head and body.

He then pursued Mr Barker through the gym and continued the brutal attack and continuing to stab the 24-year-old, who died at the scene.

Terrified gym members went to Mr Barker's aid but were ordered by three men with Riddington to "not to get involved".

After the attack, Riddington - who was still carrying the weapon - and the other three men fled.

A post-mortem examination found 17 stab wounds to Mr Barker's body including several defensive injuries to his arms and concluded the cause of death was stab wounds to his chest and abdomen.

After fleeing the country a warrant was issued for Riddington's arrest as he was now a fugitive in Europe with detectives issued a European Arrest Warrant.

He was arrested last August after he was detained by local police in northern Cyprus as part of an investigation where it was found he was living under another alias - Ricky de Bruin on a Namibian passport.

Riddington returned to the UK on November 8 last year - almost two years after the murder.

“We take her (George’s daughter) to the grave sometimes where she points and says ‘My Daddy, my Daddy.’" - Mr Barker's mother

Mr Barker had become a father just days before he was murdered.

In a statement read to the court, his mother said: “George was the youngest, the baby of the family. He teased his sisters he was my favourite. He was my favourite son, my only son.

“We take her (George’s daughter) to the grave sometimes where she points and says ‘My Daddy, my Daddy.’ We smile back and agree with her. Inside we are crying.”

DCI Laurence Smith said: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of George Barker, I hope today’s sentence will bring them some small comfort.

“While the motive for the murder may never be known, we can be certain that the attack on George Barker was vicious and relentless, and that the sentence handed down by the court has removed a dangerous individual from society.

“The intention to kill George was clearly demonstrated by the 17 separate stab wounds that Riddington inflicted on him, despite his pleas for the attack to stop, as he pursued him through the gym.

“Riddington went to great lengths to evade taking responsibility for the murder, using a false name and passport, he sought to hide abroad.

"However, the tenacity and determination of officers resulted in him being located in Cyprus and being brought back to the UK to face charges.

“This case clearly highlights that those who think that they can hide abroad to avoid facing the penalties of violent crime can think again.

"We will relentlessly pursue anyone who inflicts harm on others and place them before the courts to face the consequences of their actions.”

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