A man is facing sentence after being convicted of killing a friend by slipping 27 anti-depressant tablets into his beer.

Lee Webster denied the manslaughter of dwarf Jason Wood and claimed he did it “for a laugh”, but a jury of nine men and three women found him guilty in less than an hour.

Mr Wood, 30, died within about three hours of swallowing the Mirtazapine pills during a heavy drinking session.

Jurors had not been told during the trial that Webster had admitted perverting the course of justice by disposing of the pill bottle.

Neither did they know the 26-year-old father’s housemate, Steve McNamara, 27, had also admitted the charge in suggesting the disposal of the bottle.

Both will be sentenced tomorrow morning.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that the combination of the pills, alcohol and sleep apnoea, which caused Mr Wood to stop breathing, probably led to his death.

He had been drinking for a few days with Mr Webster and McNamara at a house in Camden Square, Ramsgate.

The victim, who was 4ft tall and weighed just six stone, was found slumped in an armchair by another housemate on the morning of October 23 last year.

He was declared dead at the scene. His alcohol level was found to be almost three times the legal driving limit.

Police found out about the tablets because of admissions Webster made to others after Mr Wood’s death and through tests carried out on the body.

Webster told his father Stephen Allen on November 17 he had put the tablets in Mr Wood’s beer and said he “may have accidentally killed him”.

He also told his sister Stephanie he did it, saying he thought it would be a laugh.

Mr Wood’s sister Tracey West, also a dwarf, wanted to find out more and added Webster as a Facebook friend.

He told her in a message: “Tracey, I am so sorry. I put 27 of my mirtazapine tablets into Jason’s beer that night.”

Webster, of Dover Road East, Gravesend, said in police in interviews he had acted “in a mad, crazy, drunken moment” as a joke when he put the tablets into the beer can.

“We all had too much to drink,” he said. “I picked up the Metazepam (sic) bottle and basically turned round and said to Steve: ‘Look, shall we do this as a joke?’ and, like, put the tablets into like his can of beer.

“Steve said ‘Yeah’, so I put the tablets into his can of beer and it started frothing up and, like, we sat there and laughed about it.

“Then Jason’s come up from the toilet, basically picked up his beer and started drinking it and said it tasted funny. Then me and Steve both turned around and told him: ‘It’s alright, just drink it.’”

Webster, who did not give evidence at his trial, added: “I feel bad and I feel guilty for what I have done, because at the end of the day Jason was my friend and I didn’t mean to kill him. It was just something stupid when we was all drunk and got too out of control.”

Judge Philip Statman told jurors: “It is an unusual case in many respects for a jury to try, particularly when it is placed before you in large part from experts.

“People say juries do not understand that sort of evidence. How wrong they are. If they saw the way you have handled this particular case with care and attention to detail and submitting important and relevant questions, it defeats those who say cases of this kind ought not to go before a jury.”

Speaking after the guilty verdict, Det Insp Chris Carter from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: "Although Lee Webster never intended to kill or harm Jason Wood, he was responsible for his death.

"Spiking, or secretly putting drugs or substances into someone else’s drink should not be considered ‘fun’ or a joke.

"Spiking, or secretly putting drugs or substances into someone else’s drink should not be considered ‘fun’ or a joke" - Det Insp Chris Carter

"It can have very serious consequences which Jason’s family and friends and Mr Webster, will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

"Anyone involved in trying to cover up an offence, in this case McNamara, will be prosecuted.

"This verdict shows this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated."

A family statement said: "The family of Jason Wood are pleased that a verdict has been reached.

"The past seven months have been very difficult for the family. Knowing that justice has been served will help to give us peace.

"Jason was a happy, caring and fun-loving son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend to many. He is sadly missed by all.

"We would like to thank everyone who has supported us over this very difficult time."