A Welwyn Garden City killer who stabbed his neighbour’s boyfriend to death with an 11-inch knife has had his minimum jail term cut.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Victim Scott StoneVictim Scott Stone (Image: Archant)

Paul Dillon, 53, plunged the blade into the chest of 26-year-old dad Scott Stone and “chopped” him to the head in a fatal attack last year.

Dillon was handed a life sentence at St Albans Crown Court, last July, after he was convicted of murder by a jury.

He was ordered to serve at least 22 years behind bars before his release would be considered. But three senior judges at London’s Appeal Court yesterday (Tuesday) upheld Dillon’s sentence challenge, cutting his minimum term to 20 years.

Lord Justice Bean said Dillon rowed with Rachel Lowes in a communal area of Guinness House, where they both lived, on March 16, 2014.

After they exchanged crossed words, he tried to force his way into her flat in front of her young daughter.

When Mr Stone, her boyfriend, later heard about the spat he was “fuming”, and went to Dillon’s door to confront him.

“Suddenly Dillon’s door opened and, without saying a word, Dillon plunged a knife into Mr Stone’s chest,” the judge said.

“As Mr Stone was bent forward clutching his chest, Dillon chopped him over head with the knife causing a wound and a groove in the skull.”

Mr Stone died from his injuries.

When police arrested Dillon, he shrugged and said: “You’re not serious”.

Dillon denied murder, claiming he’d been acting in self-defence.

However, he was found guilty after a ten-day trial.

On sentencing him, Judge Stephen Gullick, said Dillon had not intended to kill Mr Stone and had been in fear of violence, but his fatal attack still constituted murder.

Dillon’s counsel, Matthew Hardyman, said the minimum term was “manifestly excessive”.

He argued Judge Gullick wrongly increased the sentence after finding that Dillon had taken the murder weapon to the scene.

Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Mr Justice Globe and Mr Justice Turner, ruled that Judge Gullick had been right on this point.

However, he added: “Taking into account the findings of a lack of intention to kill, lack of premeditation and a real fear of violence, we consider the term of 22 years did not give adequate weight to these mitigating factors.

“We allow the appeal to the extent of quashing that minimum term and substituting one of 20 years.”