by Keith Hunt

A man accused of killing his flatmate during a "pointless argument" about where to store a vacuum cleaner has been cleared of murder and manslaughter.

The jury of nine men and three women reached a not guilty verdict on the murder charge against Milos Louzecky after more than six hours of deliberation.

They later returned to acquit him of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Mr Louzecky, 47, was sharing a flat in West Street, Blue Town, Sheerness, with victim Pavel Vanek, 29, and his brother Tomas.

The three Czechs had on April 19 this year been to a beach in Sheerness before returning to the flat.

The prosecution said the brothers had bought a Henry vacuum cleaner and wanted to store it in Mr Louzecky's room because it was bigger than theirs.

But Mr Louzecky refused and during a confrontation Pavel suffered a fatal knife wound to his side.

Mr Louzecky denied both charges, claiming he did not mean to stab his friend. He said he was eating salami with a knife in his room when he was attacked by Pavel and had not realised he was wounded.