A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 32-year-old Daniel Manuel in Vauxhall.
Fawaz Abdulkareem, 36, stabbed Mr Manuel to death at his flat following an argument over a debt.
Metropolitan Police were called to the apartment building on Bondway in the early hours of July 5 last year.
Upon arrival, officers found Mr Manuel with stab wounds in the lobby of the block of flats.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Abdulkareem of Bondway, Southwark, was found guilty of murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday, May 21.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 17 years on Friday.
Mr Manuel and Abdulkareem had spent the evening at a nightclub, returning with a group of friends to Abdulkareem's flat in the early hours of the morning on July 5 last year.
Following an argument about money, Mr Manuel was suddenly stabbed three times with a kitchen knife.
After the attack, Abdulkareem left the flat with the knife still in the waistband of his trousers, taking his t-shirt off and using it to disguise the weapon when he reported Mr Manuel’s injuries to staff in the lobby.
When Abdulkareem realised emergency services were on their way, he tried to dispose of the blade out of the window.
But one of the responding officers noticed Mr Manuel’s blood on his clothing and arrested him at the scene.
Abdulkareem alleged that he had acted in self-defence, but evidence found that the nature of Mr Manuel’s injuries suggested he had most likely been stabbed while his back was turned, disproving the claims.
Paying tribute to Mr Manuel, his wife Zulal said: "Daniel was not just my husband, he was my partner, my home, my emotional safety and the person I built my entire life around.
"Losing him in such a violent and sudden way has completely shattered my world.
"This loss has affected every part of my life, emotionally, physically, financially and I am still trying to survive the aftermath of it."
Detective Inspector Luke Hampton said: "Daniel was murdered in a moment of extreme violence by a man he thought was his friend.
"Abdulkareem tried to deceive police, recklessly throwing the murder weapon from the window of the 14th floor of a tower block and cruelly claiming it was Daniel who had attacked him.
"Met detectives saw through his lies and worked hard to secure a conviction. Abdulkareem's claims of self-defence were dismissed by the jury.
"Our thoughts remain with Daniel's family and hope this sentence gives them a degree of peace."
