A MAN who stabbed a widower to death while robbing him to feed his drug habit has been found guilty of murder.

David Dempsey, of Kermishaw Nook, Astley, was sentenced to life at Liverpool Crown Court today, Wednesday, following a re-trial and must serve a minimum of 30 years in prison.

On Sunday, August 25 last year, 43-year-old Dempsey took a kitchen knife with him to the home of his victim, the recently widowed Steven Butterworth, 62.

He had earlier gone to Mr Butterworth’s house on Diamond Street, Leigh, where he tried to sell him a gold watch. He left the watch at the house and left.

Having discovered that the victim had a substantial amount of cash at his home, he returned later.

Once he forced his way into the property shortly after 5.20pm, Dempsey stabbed Mr Butterworth, twice in the front and twice in his back, before stealing his wallet which contained around £400.

Before leaving the house, Dempsey, who along with his wife was spending up to £300 a day on Class A drugs, “made a sinister and very frightening threat to Mr Butterworth," said Mr Justice Holroyde.

"You said to him that if he did not die and if he said anything to anyone you would return and kill him. Minutes later you were using some of Mr Butterworth's cash to buy a substantial quantity of drugs.

"Your crime of murder has ended one life but it has also blighted many more. Mr Butterworth's family and friends are left to mourn him and grieve for him."

He told Dempsey, who shouted to the jury, 'it's a joke' when they returned their verdict, 'you have shown no sign even of ordinary human sympathy for those who have been bereaved.

“On the contrary you have in your arrogant manner tried to brazen your way out, denying your own wrongdoing and making allegations against others without compunction."

A Liverpool Crown Court jury, which took just three hours to find Dempsey guilty of murder, heard that the victim told paramedics that someone had pushed their way into the house and stabbed him after stealing his wallet but that he did not want to make a statement.

He told his niece in hospital after the stabbing that he had been stabbed by the man who had come round earlier and sold him a gold watch. After being stabbed in the back and chest, his condition deteriorated, leading to his death just over a month later on September 27.

Senior investigating officer Duncan Thorpe said: "Stephen's wife had sadly died in June prior to this attack and it was after this that Dempsey began preying on Mr Butterworth.

"This has been an extremely difficult time for Stephen's family and friends and our thoughts remain with them."

Dempsey denied murder and at a trial earlier this year another jury was unable to agree on a verdict leading to the re-trial.