A BROMLEY man has been jailed for seven years after stabbing a man to death following a Downham pub brawl.

Ross Flynn, aged 27, of Brockman Rise, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Lenny Kempley, who lived in Edward Tyler Road in Grove Park, at the Old Bailey this morning.

Flynn stabbed Mr Kempley 12 times after the 54-year-old attacked him with two knives in Downham Way, at around 11.50pm on July 17, the court heard.

This followed a fight between the two in the car park of the nearby Downham Tavern after they had argued inside the pub.

Martin Heslop, representing Flynn, said Mr Kempley “went home and it's clear that he armed himself with two knives. Large kitchen knives”.

He added: “He returned to the public house looking for the defendant and he was standing in the car park with two knives in his hand, raging and threatening to kill the defendant and his family and his children.”

Mr Heslop told the court Mr Kempley then drove along Downham Way and when he saw Flynn, he stopped his car, got out and approached him.

Two witnesses saw Mr Kempley and Flynn fight, during which Flynn suffered two life threatening stab wounds, before Flynn stabbed Mr Kempley repeatedly, the court heard.

Philip Bennetts, prosecuting, said Flynn stabbed Mr Kempley in the heart in a “frenzied attack”.

Mr Heslop said Flynn did not have a knife before Mr Kempley confronted him, and used one of Mr Kempley's knives to stab him after “losing self control”.

Mr Heslop added: “This is an unusual case because it is clear that the original aggressor of this terrible incident was the deceased.”

Flynn had been due to stand trial for murder, but the prosecution accepted a plea of manslaughter on the grounds of using excessive force in self-defence.

Judge Christopher Moss QC told Flynn he would serve at least half of his seven year prison sentence.

Mr Kempley died in hospital less than an hour after he was stabbed.

Flynn was in hospital for eight days and his spleen was removed during this time.

Mr Kempley had just been released from prison before his death, after being jailed for 18 years in 1995 for attempted robbery and making use of a firearm with intent to resist arrest.

He was part of a gang, one of whom disguised as a policeman in an attempt to rob a Kwik Save in Essex by threatening staff with guns.

After the alarm was raised, they tried to escape, with Kempley firing shots at police.

He also had previous convictions for robbery, wounding with intent and unlawful wounding.