Flatmate Stabbed to Death Over Fake Kiss Claim
A 20-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering his flatmate after wrongly accusing him of kissing his girlfriend. Carlos Velez stabbed 26-year-old David Martinez to death in a brutal attack at their shared flat in East London.
Attack Sparks After Jealousy Erupts
David had been living with Velez, his girlfriend, and mother at a flat on North Birkbeck Road, E11. Trouble started on 6 March 2019 when Velez confronted his girlfriend, demanding to know why she was in the kitchen with David.
David later told his cousins that Velez “was all crazy and was asking if [I] had kissed his girlfriend” and feared for his life, saying, “I am going to try to go on Friday else I’ll end up dead.”
Stabbing in Kitchen Shocks Girlfriend
Velez’s girlfriend, who had been in her room, walked into the kitchen just in time to see Velez attacking David with a knife. She witnessed multiple stabbings to David’s head and stomach.
Despite his injuries, David ran from the flat, alerting passersby who called emergency services. Paramedics and police rushed to the scene, but David later died from his wounds.
Killer Flees, Gets Caught Hours Later
Velez fled immediately after the attack, taking the murder weapon. He made his way to a nearby station, then travelled to Portsmouth to stay with a friend. In a desperate bid to hide evidence, he disposed of his clothing in Portsmouth.
His luck ran out early the next day when police arrested him on the M27, catching him riding a bicycle on the hard shoulder near Portsmouth.
Velez was convicted of murder after a nine-day trial at the Old Bailey and is due to be sentenced this Friday, 26 June.
