A thug who stabbed to death a neighbour who complained about loud music late at night has been convicted of murder for the second time.

Mark Laverick was jailed for life in March 2003 and ordered to serve a minimum of 12 years for killing "gentle giant" Stephen Norrington.

The 40-year-old father won an appeal against his conviction over the medical evidence of discredited pathologist Dr Michael Heath and a retrial was ordered.

But a jury today returned a unanimous guilty verdict on the murder charge and the judge, Mr Justice Penry-Davey, passed the same sentence.

As Laverick, of Partridge Close, Broomfield, near Herne Bay, has served just under five years nine months, he will stay behind bars a further six years and three months before parole is considered.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how Mr Norrington's family had suffered sleepless nights for some time as the walls of their home shook during neighbours’ long drinking sessions.

When the 6ft tall, 22 stone lorry driver once again asked for the volume to be turned down on August 16 2002, Laverick grabbed a 12-inch long knife and stabbed him through the heart.

The prosecution said the attack on Laverick’s doorstep happened in a moment of drunken anger.

Mr Norrington was taken to the QEQM Hospital in Margate but by then he had almost no blood circulating through his body and died soon afterwards.

Laverick denied murder, claiming he picked up the knife because Mr Norrington had previously threatened him and did not know how he came to be stabbed.