A man has been convicted and sentenced for a fatal stabbing on the towpath of the River Lea.

Rowmando Lewis, 28 (09.03.1990) of Cunningham Avenue, Enfield was convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court today (Tuesday, 18 September) of the murder of 41-year-old Tyrone Silcott and being in possession of an offensive weapon.

He was sentenced on the same day to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 21 years.

The court heard how on Sunday, 18 March, Lewis and Mr Silcott had both been to a house party at an address in Towpath Walk, Hackney.

Mr Silcott had got into an argument with a woman at the party over the use of a microphone and Lewis had got involved.

The argument continued on the towpath outside the house.

A witness described how Lewis had pushed the victim’s chest with both hands; Mr Silcott pushed him back and Lewis then took a knife from his waist, pulled it from a case and stabbed the victim.

Lewis then walked away towards the car park area of Poplar Close.

Police were called at about 08:15hrs and London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance also attended, despite the efforts of medical staff, Mr Silcott was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination carried out on 21 March at Poplar Mortuary found two stab wounds, one to the neck and one to the back of the right shoulder; the cause of death was found to be loss of blood due to the neck wound.

Lewis has fled the scene in a Smart car, which crashed at about 08:20hrs into traffic lights on Ponsford Street, Hackney.

Witnesses went to his aid and saw the driver was covered in blood that did not appear to be his own.

Lewis ran off from the scene of the crash, but was quickly identified by police as a suspect for the murder.

Detectives from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC) began enquiries began to trace him.

On Tuesday, 20 March, Lewis handed himself in at a police station and was arrested on suspicion of murder.

He was charged with the murder on Wednesday, 21 March.

Detective Inspector John Marriott of the Met’s HMCC, said: “It is hard to believe that a man has lost his life over such a trivial incident. This was a minor argument the led to a man being stabbed to death and the victim’s friends and family being left devastated.

• “Those who carry knives and use them must face the consequences of their actions. The Met is determined that those who use knives will be found, arrested and brought to account. Today Lewis has been found guilty and now faces a long time in prison; it is thoroughly deserved.”