A killer who stabbed a "precious son" to death in his bedroom has been jailed for 14-and-a-half years.
Fise Ames Abdou died after being repeatedly knifed in the legs at the home he was staying at in South Shields. One of the stab wounds to Fise's leg severed a vein and he bled to death despite efforts to save him.
Shaun Riches was cleared of murdering him but convicted of manslaughter. As he was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court, Fise's family said he was a "one-off" who can never be replaced.
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In a victim impact statement on behalf of the family, which was read to the court, they said: "The day the earth stood still was the day we lost our Fise. It's ripped a gaping hole in our family that will never ever be repaired.
"No amount of justice, no sentence, will be enough for the special life you have taken away. He was a precious son to our mam and the apple of our dad's eye.
"He was a complete one-off. Fise can never be replaced. The huge loss has caused a ripple effect on our family. We have all suffered physical and mental health problems after losing the most important person in our life.
"We think about what could have been and should have been for our Fise. He has been robbed of his future.
"Our mam and dad had to bury their son. This should not happen, it's not the right way round.
"Fise is never coming back and we will never hear his laugh again or see his cheeky face or feel his love. We will never be able to forgive and we are struggling with the impact the trial has had on us."
After a trial earlier this year, Riches, 24, of Wycliffe Avenue, Kenton, Newcastle, was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of murder, along with Scott Mitchell, 25, of no fixed address and Michael Raine, 35, of Grace House, Percy Main, North Shields. Mitchell and Raine were also cleared of manslaughter.
Riches and Raine, who has 29 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to having knives when they were arrested two days later and Raine, who admitted carrying blades and wearing a stab vest while carrying out drug dealing, was jailed for 23 months.
It was in the early hours of March 5 this year that Fise was killed in a bedroom of his friend's house, where he was staying, on Marshall Wallis Road, in South Shields. He was stabbed at least seven times in both legs.
Fise had been lying watching a film and eating ice cream when he was attacked by Riches, who turned up masked, as were the other two. Sentencing him, Judge Penny Moreland said she couldn't be sure he took the knife to the flat but added: "I'm sure you went to his flat for a malevolent purpose, with an unlawful act in mind but I can't be sure what that was.
"I'm sure you didn't reasonably believe it was necessary to defend yourself or Scott Mitchell from an attack by Fise Ames Abdou.
"The offending took place in the context of what the prosecution described as the dark and dangerous world inhabited by people like you who use and deal drugs. The carrying of knives and the use of knives is habitual in that world."
The court heard pre-sentence reports suggest extensive work is needed with Riches to diminish the risk he poses to the public. Riches, who has 32 previous convictions, including GBH with intent and assaults, was jailed for 14-and-a-half years with an extended licence period of a further five years.
Toby Hedworth KC, defending, said he has no previous convictions involving the use of knives.
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