A 51-year-old man has been convicted of murder after stabbing his housemate to death following a dispute over a £10 phone debt in Chatham.
Mark Jesse attacked the victim, a man in his 40s, at their shared accommodation in Castle Road on 1 November 2025. Following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court, Jesse was found guilty of the killing.
The court heard that the fatal incident began when the victim became involved in a heated argument with a visitor, 41-year-old Ashley Robinson, over a mobile phone for which the victim had allegedly failed to pay Robinson £10. Although that initial dispute ended and the two men separated, Jesse became angered by the confrontation. He armed himself with a knife and, accompanied by another man, walked to the victim’s room.
The pair emerged from the room a few minutes later, with witnesses overhearing them say, “We’ve done him.” Jesse was also heard boasting, “I’ve stabbed him in the ribs.” The victim was subsequently discovered with a single, fatal stab wound to his chest.
Following the attack, Jesse and Robinson fled the property together in a vehicle, which they later abandoned in Kingfisher Drive. Both men were arrested by police over the course of the following two days.
At Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 15 June, Jesse was found guilty of murder and Robinson, of Meadow Bank Road, Chatham, was convicted of assisting an offender. They are due to be sentenced at a later date.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Davies said:
‘A man’s life was tragically and prematurely cut short over a simple argument, and it is solely due to Jesse’s unjustifiable and rash decision to take a knife into the victim’s room that day.
‘That he ran from the scene and consistently denied his actions show his lack of remorse and morality.
‘There is no more serious a crime than murder and I’m satisfied that his prison sentence will likely reflect his having taken someone’s life deliberately and without reason. With him behind bars, he can do no more harm to the community for a long time.’