A LODGER stabbed to death another man at the house where they lived after being asked to keep the bathroom clean. Emmanuel Igwegby, 41, stabbed Antonio Samuels with a kitchen knife 45 times during the attack. Today (Monday) a court heard that Mr Samuels,

A LODGER stabbed to death another man at the house where they lived after being asked to keep the bathroom clean.

Emmanuel Igwegby, 41, stabbed Antonio Samuels with a kitchen knife 45 times during the attack.

Today (Monday) a court heard that Mr Samuels, 48, managed to flee from the house only to be chased outside by Igwegby and repeatedly stabbed as he lay in a parking bay.

Witnesses who saw the "brutal" attack were said to have been "stunned and traumatised".

At St Albans Crown Court, Igwegby pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial to the murder of Mr Samuels on April 24 last year.

Ann Evans, prosecuting, told the court: "Antonio Samuels was brutally stabbed to death by the defendant outside the house they shared. It was in broad daylight and neighbours were absolutely stunned and traumatised."

The prosecutor then told the court the trial was not about whether the defendant had caused the death of Mr Samuels, which he had admitted.

Instead, she said, the issue for the jury was whether what he did that day amounted to murder or had a mental abnormality he was suffering from substantially impaired his responsibility. If that was the case, the court was told Igwegby should be found guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Outlining the prosecution's case, Miss Evans said that in August 2007 the defendant had moved into a house in Parkfield, Letchworth GC.

Living there was another man and Mr Samuels. Mrs Evans said the property was owned by the deceased's sister Maria Samuels.

Igwegby was paying �280 a month rent but, by the end of 2008, the deceased's sister had other plans for the property and wanted him and the other tenant out.

Igwegby had received a letter from her saying he had to be out by March 2 of last year but, by April of last year, the tenants, along with the deceased, were still living in the property.

Igwegby, who did casual work with an agency, had frequent rows with Mr Samuels.

They argued about gas or electricity and the defendant would be annoyed when gas and electricity ran out.

Mrs Evans said he was also concerned that Mr Samuels and his girlfriend had been taking property from his room.

On the day of the killing, Igwegby was talking to another tenant while Mr Samuels was standing behind them vacuuming.

"Mr Samuels reminded both men to clean the bath after they had used it and he went back downstairs," said the prosecutor.

Moments later she said there was the sound of a commotion in the house and the tenant Mr Igwegby had been talking to earlier heard Mr Samuels calling out "Don't do this". She said the man then ran downstairs and saw Mr Samuels lying on his back on the floor.

She said the defendant was over him holding a kitchen knife, with a blade 8-9in in length, and Mr Samuels' arms were up as he tried to defend himself.

She said the tenant saw Igwegby then stab Mr Samuels a number of times.

The court was told the man tried to intervene, only to receive cut wounds himself.

He shouted to Mr Samuels to run and both managed to get out of the house.

However, having gone out of the rear of the house, Mr Samuels was again attacked by the defendant.

Igwegby then returned to the house and barricaded himself in his bedroom. Armed police arrived and forced their way into the house.

Igwegby eventually let them into his room. He had suffered a number of self-inflicted wounds and spent three days in hospital.

Case proceeding.