A TEENAGER murdered a Good Samaritan dad outside his twin daughters' birthday party before bragging: "I'd do it again."
The 16-year-old has been convicted today of brutally knifing James Gibbons to death near his Essex home after the 34-year-old stepped in to stop a gang picking on a homeless man.
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Good Samaritan James Gibbons was murdered as he celebrated his twin daughters' birthdays 4
The loving father was stabbed in an alleyway as he tried to defend a homeless man
The killer, who cannot be named because of his age, stabbed father-of-four Mr Gibbons four times and left him to die.
It was heard that he then bragged to a friend: "I'm a psychopath."
He denied a single count of murder but was found guilty by a majority verdict of 10 to two following a four-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
And he showed no emotion as the verdict was returned following 14 hours of deliberations.
However, Mr Gibbons’ devastated family gasped and wept as the foreman of the jury read out the decision.
And the victim's mum Wendy Richards told reporters her son was a "hero" who "stood up to bullies".
The horror stabbing happened moments after Mr Gibbons was involved in a confrontation with pals of the defendant just yards from his home in Laindon.
The court was told there was "no dispute" that the teenager had stabbed his victim four times in the stomach - but he claimed he'd acted in self defence.
DAD MURDERED
Horror unfolded on May 2 this year when kind-hearted Mr Gibbons handed food to rough sleeper Christopher French.
The men were chatting when a two youths walked over.
One began pulling at Mr French's hooded top while the second tried to wrest the plate from his hands.
Mr Gibbons is said to have told them to "get lost" - or he'd "knock them out".
The boys walked off, but returned just 10 minutes later with a gang of friends.
Most were aged 12 or 13 - but two, including the defendant, were older.
Mr French told jurors a row broke out before Mr Gibbons chased the youngsters down an alleyway.
He then reeled back before lifting his top to reveal he'd been stabbed.
The blade used hasn't been found. However, pathologists say it was around six inches long.
SICK TEEN'S BRAG
In the hours after the killing, the teenager tearfully called his girlfriend.
During a 43-minute chat, he told her: "A man's been stabbed. I think he's dead."
A friend messaged him in a group chat to tell him to "stay low, low, low, don't go anywhere yet, and when you do, have a coronavirus mask on."
He was then asked: "Have you got the knife from when you done it?" - replying: "ofc", a shortened version of 'of course'.
The youth also went online to search for news of what had happened to his victim. He Googled 'consequences of accidentally stabbing someone'.
But despite his tears to his girlfriend, jurors heard he boasted that he'd stabbed Mr Gibbons multiple times.
He bragged: "I chinged [stabbed] him 25 times."
The court heard he was "laughing" as he said it.
He then boasted that he'd kill more - reportedly telling a friend who asked if he'd committed the horrific crime: "Yeah, I did… I don't care. I'm a psychopath."
He and his family had their whole future to look forward to. That's been taken from them
Mum Wendy
Upon learning his victim had died, he said on Snapchat: "I might as well go and kill everyone else I don't like."
The boy will return to the court to be sentenced next month.
Ms Richards, of Basildon, called Mr Gibbons a "real hard-working man who wanted nothing else but to provide for his family" in a moving tribute.
"He, Vicky and their children had their whole future to look forward to. Unfortunately, this has been taken from them," she said.
"James did not like bullies, and he would always be the one who would protect and look out for vulnerable people.
"We are proud of him - he is our hero."
The family paid tribute to "Gibbo" after his death - and said they were "absolutely broken beyond belief".
They said in a statement: “James was an amazing father of four young children, engaged to his partner of 11 years, and was a loving and supportive son and brother.
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“James was a hard-working -family-orientated man, who ran his own bathroom fitting company and was looking forward to a positive future for him and his family.
“This tragedy occurred after he had spent the day celebrating his two-year-old twin girls’ birthday at home and we are absolutely broken beyond belief at this pointless loss which has had a devastating effect on us all.
“James was the kind of person who would always be prepared to help anyone less fortunate than himself, which is what he was doing."
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A 16-year-old boy has been convicted of murder today 4
Mr Gibbons' devastated family wept as the verdict was returned this afternoon