A TEENAGER has been convicted of stabbing a man to death over an unpaid drugs debt.

A jury found Daniel Bamford, 18, guilty of the manslaughter of Michael Keen but not guilty of his murder.

During a nine-day trial at Preston Crown Court a jury was told how Bamford, of Harvey Lane, Golborne, had stabbed 42-year-old Mr Keen 15 times – including 10 in the back and three in the head and neck – at the victim’s home in Darwen.

Police have described the killing as ‘horrific’ and are now determined to find other members of the gang he was part of.

Three days before Mr Keen’s death Bamford had been 'installed' at the house to recover a £1,000 drugs debt the victim owed to a Merseyside drugs gang headed up by a man named only as ‘Brian’.

On the day of the stabbing gang enforcer Bamford had made a phone call to his ‘boss’ and the couple feared they would be forced to pay the debt immediately, with associates going to the house to collect it.

Bamford had always claimed the stabbing happened when he was defending himself, having woken up to Mr Keen hitting him over the head with a metal bar and his partner Anne-Marie West, 42, holding a knife to his throat.

The court was told Ms West also suffered a stab wound to the back and one to the arm during the incident on August 25.

However Bamford was cleared of wounding Ms West with intent after claiming any injuries could have occurred when he disarmed her.

The court heard Bamford had injuries to his ear, face, arm and elbow, which he said were as a result of the attack by Mr Keen.

He called friends to help him escape and was arrested by police the next day.

Two men – Reece Hignett, 18, of Gordon Street, Leigh, and Paul Swift, 44, from St Helens – pleaded guilty to assisting an offender in relation to that at the start of the trial.

Hignett was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in a young offenders’ institution and Swift was jailed for four years and four months.

Bamford also pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply and supplying cocaine and heroin at an earlier hearing.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

Judge Peter Fraser warned him a prison sentence is 'inevitable'.

He said: “You have heard the verdict of the jury. You are to return to this court to be sentenced alongside the other defendants.

"You will inevitably be facing a sentence of imprisonment.”

The jury of nine men and three women took 14-and-a-half hours to convict him of manslaughter and 12 hours to clear him of the wounding charge.

The verdict was met with cries of joy from Bamford’s family, who were present throughout the trial.

The court had heard the gang had been operating in Darwen for a number of months and Mr Keen had originally racked up a heroin debt of between £400 and £500, which later doubled.

Prosecutor Francis McEntee said on the day of Mr Keen’s death Ms West put a knife to Bamford’s throat and Mr Keen woke him up by hitting him on the head with a metal bar.

Bamford told the court he disarmed Ms West and ran at Mr Keen, who he said was still hitting him.

The jury heard that Bamford stabbed Mr Keen twice, causing him to fall into a chair.

It was the prosecution's case that Bamford stabbed Mr Keen while he was sat in the chair and Ms West was stabbed as she ran for help.

Bamford also said Mr Keen and Ms West, who originally told police that the teenager had pulled the knife from his back pocket but later conceded she brought it down from an upstairs bedroom, were attempting to rob him of drugs and cash.

He added that Mr Keen pinned him against a door as he tried to escape and he stabbed him as 'a last resort' in his bid to flee the property.

Mr Keen died in the front garden of the property while Ms West was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for treatment and was released later the same day.

Detective inspector Zoe Russo, from Lancashire Police, said: “Michael Keen died after suffering a significant number of stab wounds.

"It was a vicious attack by Bamford in Mr Keen's own home which caused these fatal wounds.

“This was a difficult and at times complex investigation which involved the arrest of a number of suspects.

“Following significant enquiries and with support from counterparts at Greater Manchester Police and Merseyside Police, a number of individuals linked to a wider gang were arrested across the region.

“My thoughts remain with Mr Keen’s family and friends at this extremely sad and distressing time and I hope the end of proceedings can bring some form of closure.”

In a family statement Mr Keen's mother said: "Michael was never an aggressive person and hated violence, but it was this world and violence that ultimately took him from us.

"For a long time we have waited for the phone call to say that Michael had died because of drugs.

"We dreaded the day that phone call would come but had prepared ourselves for it.

"Never did we imagine the violent way in which he ultimately died.

"Sitting in court listening to what happened to him has been heartbreaking, taking his life all because of drug money.

"The injuries he had to suffer is still something I cannot bring myself to listen to.

"No-one should ever lose their child but no-one will be able to understand how losing one in this way will affect our family.

"Our lives will never be the same again.

"Michael was a good, kind-hearted person and we have lost him forever."