Life in jail for ex-soldier who murdered neighbour

A former soldier who fatally stabbed his neighbour after an argument has been jailed for life.

Elvis Vickers, 48, formerly of Mousehold Street, Norwich, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Friday for the murder of Abdul Chadli, from Hertfordshire, who died from a single knife wound to the chest.

The pair, who lived in adjacent flats in Mousehold Street, had been drinking together on Friday 1 November 2024 and had started to argue about current affairs.

Vickers was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years.

At about 22:00 GMT on the night of the incident, Vickers sent a text message to a friend saying "just to let you know, I just killed Abs".

Seven minutes later Vickers called 999 and said "I've got a dead body in my flat, mate" before telling the call handler, "Yeah, I killed him".

Vickers had denied murder, but a jury at a trial in December reached a unanimous guilty verdict.

At court, Chadli's mother described him as "quiet, respectful and deeply caring".

She said: "Abdul was everything to me.

"I feel as though part of me died with Abdul. I miss him so much — he had so much of his life left to live."

Following the sentencing, Det Insp Sam Pontin, of Norfolk Police, said: "Nothing can reverse the events of that night in November 2024, but we hope that today's sentence at least provides some measure of justice for Abdul's loved ones as they continue to come to terms with their loss.

"The strength and dignity they've displayed throughout has been commendable and our thoughts remain with them today and moving forward."

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