A young father could be facing an indeterminate prison sentence for killing 21-year-old Tom Crittenden with a single stab wound.

Caleb White was cleared of murder, but convicted of manslaughter today in a unanimous verdict by a jury of six men and six women.

Adjourning sentence for six weeks for a psychiatric report, Judge Jeremy Carey told 20-year-old White: “On this jury’s verdict, you have been convicted of the manslaughter of Tom Crittenden in circumstances where they have concluded it is at least possible you lost control in the legal sense, as they were directed it was in law.

“That verdict must be faithfully interpreted by the court and reflected in the sentence imposed upon you, which will be a very substantial prison sentence.

“It may be it is a sentence described as indeterminate with no fixed term. There will simply be a tariff.”

The judge added he would only come to that conclusion if he was satisfied there was a risk of serious harm of future violent offending.

Maidstone Crown Court heard White was wound up with jealousy and anger after his girlfriend Danielle Brown had been out in Maidstone for the evening.

Mr Crittenden went to White’s flat at Dublin House in Cornwall Close, Shepway, in the early hours of September 25 last year with his best friend Billy Swift.

Mr Swift had asked his father to drive them because his ex-girlfriend Julie Matthews was there with another man, Shane Price.

When they arrived, White ran back into his flat chased by 6ft 3in tall Mr Crittenden.

White ran back into the flats chased by Mr Crittenden. Miss Matthews told Mr Crittenden to stop and he did so.

White, then 19, went to his kitchen and grabbed a knife from a block.

Oliver Saxby, prosecuting, said White saw Mr Crittenden walking towards him and ran up and stabbed him in the chest.

Mr Crittenden and Mr Swift went back to the van. The father drove them to his Maidstone home, where Mr Crittenden collapsed and died.

White claimed in evidence he stabbed the victim by accident while trying to scare him off.