A MURDERED epileptic man's family will never be able to forgive his killer.

Kevin Beckingham, who was also partially-sighted and had a bone disorder, was killed in his home in Nithdale Road, Woolwich, by his former personal trainer, Khorram Azim.

Azim used a choke hold to immobilise Mr Beckingham and then stabbed him in the neck five times in mid-February last year.

His body was not discovered by one of the his carers until March 7 last year.

Detectives found martial arts videos about how to do choke holds at Azim's home in Wood Place, Sidcup.

He was also forensically linked to the murder of the 35-year-old by mobile phones found there.

The 34-year-old denied murder but was found guilty by a jury after a trial at the Old Bailey.

He had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

Azim was given a life sentence for the murder, with a recommendation he should serve at least 17 years.

He was also given a 30-month sentence for perverting the course of justice, to run concurrently.

A statement issued by Mr Beckingham's family after Azim was sentenced said: "Azim has devastated our family and ruined our lives. We will never forgive him for murdering our son, Kevin.

"No sentence will be long enough to justify what he has done."

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Alan Moore, of the Met Police's homicide and serious crime command, said: "Azim is a manipulative and controlling individual who surrounded himself with vulnerable people.

"He instilled fear in them in order to wield power over them and indulge his delusions.

"He claimed, among other things, to be a martial arts expert and a government agent.

"He targeted and murdered Kevin, a vulnerable man, to add to his delusional facade and, having done so, went to great lengths in his attempts to cover his tracks and implicate others around him.

"In the process he attempted to maliciously damage Mr Beckingham's reputation without any foundation.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the witnesses for their bravery in coming forward and assisting the investigating team to convict this man.

"My thoughts today are with the family of Kevin, whose son was the innocent victim of a man who was motivated purely to kill."