A KNIFE obsessive who murdered a man in a “furious and ferocious attack” at a Southampton party has been jailed for life.

Tony Wilkinson was told his stabbing of Neil Hampson had taken away the 32-year-old’s most precious possession – life itself.

Winchester Crown Court heard Wilkinson had stabbed his victim, known as Bones, more than 20 times, including blows to the heart and throat.

After a four-week trial and more than 15 hours of deliberation the jury yesterday delivered its guilty verdict to cries of “yes” and applause from the public gallery.

Wilkinson stood motionless with his hands behind his back as the foreman returned the jury’s 10-2 majority verdict.

Sentencing the 28-year-old to a minimum of 17-and-a-half years in jail, Judge Peter Rook QC said: “In a furious and ferocious attack you inflicted rapid blows in quick succession with a knife.

“You had been taking crack cocaine and you are a man who habitually carries knives. You’re a man who’s obsessed with knives and who will erupt into violence.”

The trial had heard Wilkinson – who liked to dress up as Rambo and pose for photographs with an assortment of knives – had come to blows with Mr Hampson at a Weston flat in the early hours of November 3, 2007. Earlier they had both attended a boat party to celebrate the 21st birthday of Danielle Gibbon, before returning to Wilkinson’s girlfriend’s 12th-floor flat in Havre Towers in Weston.

Witnesses said the aftermath of the fight scene in the property’s hallway looked like something you would see in a horror movie.

“You committed this murder in front of partygoers at your girlfriend’s flat,” said Judge Rook. “Your actions led to shock, horror and panic.

“In these seconds you took away from Neil Hampson his most precious possession – life itself. The tragic loss of Neil Hampson is something his family and friends will probably never come to terms with.”

Wilkinson brandished two Gurkha-style kitchen knives and escaped the scene as his victim was collapsing in the kitchen. Mr Hampson, of Magnolia Road, Merry Oak, died at Southampton General Hospital around 90 minutes after the attack.

After fleeing the scene Wilkinson then threatened two men in a nearby street with a knife before stealing a 4x4 from Barnfield Road and fleeing to Bournemouth. He later tried to set the vehicle alight in a Poole car park.

Wilkinson, of Merrow Avenue, Poole, was given three years for producing a blade in public, two for burglary, two for theft and two for arson. All will be served concurrently with his life sentence for murder. Shouts of “rot in hell” and “scumbag” were heard from the public gallery as he was taken down.

Earlier, to sobs from a few jury members, prosecutor Oba Nsugbe QC had read a statement from Mr Hampson’s mother about how the murder had affected her family.

She said: “I feel completely devastated that this man has taken away my child. We as a family would like this man to feel what we are feeling. You can’t call this person a man, he’s not a man.”