London man sentenced to life for murder of friend in deadly debt dispute

A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years for the murder of his friend during a violent dispute over money in south London.

Fawaz Abdulkareem, of Bondway, Southwark, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, June 5, 2026, after being found guilty by a jury on May 21 of murdering 32-year-old Daniel Manuel and possessing a bladed article in a public place.

The court heard that the fatal incident occurred in the early hours of July 5, 2025, after the two men spent the previous night together at a nightclub before returning with friends to Abdulkareem’s 14th-floor flat in Vauxhall.

According to evidence presented in court, an argument broke out over a debt allegedly owed by Abdulkareem to Manuel. During the confrontation, Abdulkareem stabbed his friend three times with a kitchen knife.

Prosecutors said that after the attack, Abdulkareem attempted to conceal the weapon before going down to the building’s lobby to report that Manuel had been injured. When he became aware that emergency services had been called, he threw the knife from his 14th-floor flat window.

Police officers arrived within minutes of an emergency call placed at 5:38 a.m. and found Manuel suffering multiple stab wounds in the building’s lobby. Despite immediate first aid, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Abdulkareem was arrested after officers noticed blood on his clothing. He denied the offence and claimed self-defence during the trial, but forensic evidence indicated that the victim was likely stabbed from behind while his back was turned.

Detective Inspector Luke Hampton of the Metropolitan Police described the killing as a “moment of extreme violence” and said investigators were able to disprove the defendant’s account through forensic findings.

Following sentencing, the victim’s wife paid tribute, describing her husband as her “emotional safety” and saying his death had devastated every part of her life.

Abdulkareem will serve his life sentence in prison.