Life Sentence For House Party Stabbing
6 August 2014, 17:20 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
A man - who stabbed his sister's ex boyfriend to death - has been told he may never be released from prison.
Paul Mapps has been given a life sentence with a minimum jail term of 20 years for killing Ian Davies at a party in January.
Cardiff Crown Court heard the two men had been good friends but things changed when the relationship between Paul Mapps sister and Ian Davies ended.
The judge said the things turned "volatile" and there was a history of arguments between the two men in the run up to night Davies died.
The 27 year old had been at a houseparty in Trinant back when he was stabbed once in the stomach with a kitchen knife.
Paul Mapps denied murder - saying he stabbed him in self defence claiming his friend came at hime with a vodka bottle.
Jurors found him guilty after a two week trial.
In sentencing him, Neil Bidder QC said Mapps was aggressive and angry - and fuelled by drink and drugs stabbed Ian Davies.
He said he rejected any suggestion that Mapps had acted in self defence.
Despite appearing to look upset in court the judge said the 27 year old was insincere, false and had shown no real remorse for what happened.
He went on to describe Ian Davies' death as tragic - for him and his family.
He has a 6 year old son who will never see him again - and will have to come to terms with how did dad died.