An Eltham man who stabbed his Sidcup brother to death after a family funeral has been convicted of murder at the Old Bailey today (July 25) and jailed for a minimum of 22 years.

Sean Hayes, 48, who lived in Raeburn Road, Sidcup, was found stabbed to death in Eltham Green Road at 1.40am on April 27.

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Jurors heard how, on April 26 last year, Sean and Mark Hayes both attended the funeral of their brother Tommy in Eltham. The two men had fallen out around a decade before after Sean Hayes failed to attend his father's funeral. 

Trouble flared after the service, leading to a fight between two sides of the family in a pub at Burnt Ash Road, Lee, shortly after midnight.

Sean Hayes was not there, but was called to the pub to pick up his daughter and her boyfriend. After getting back home to Bexley, his daughter told him that Mark Hayes had threatened to bottle her.

CCTV at Mark Hayes's home address showed what happened after Sean Hayes raced to the home, leading to him being stabbed with a 19cm bladed knife. 

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Mark Hayes was arrested at his home address on April 27. Detectives recovered the kitchen knife from the sink in his home.

Jurors at the Old Bailey convicted him of murder following a retrial.

In a statement read out in court, Sean Hayes' family said: "Sean Hayes was a very generous, caring, loving and upstanding man. There will never be anyone who was as good a husband and father. 

"He would have done anything for his wife, family and extended family. He was the support structure of the whole family and people could always depend on him for guidance, help and support. 

"Sean was a Freemason and he did a lot of charity work with them and on a personal basis. Without Sean it is going to be very difficult to look forward to the future. He was loved very much and will be missed by many, many people."

Crown Prosecution Service deputy chief crown prosecutor Jenny Hopkins said the killer had used "excessive and unjustified violence".

She said: "This was not self-defence, Sean was already on the ground when he was stabbed and posed no threat.

"Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by this tragedy."