A PORT worker has been found guilty of killing a man in a “frenzied” knife attack that left his victim with 27 stab wounds.

A jury at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday convicted Sebastian Kornjaca, 22, of St Anthony’s Crescent, Ipswich, of the manslaughter of Lee Jackson by a majority verdict.

But he was found not guilty of murdering the 43-year-old.

Judge John Devaux told Kornjaca, who remained emotionless as his family sobbed in the public gallery, that he would consider his danger to society before deciding on the length of custodial sentence.

The court had previously been told how Kornjaca had covered his face with dark make-up and a pair of black tights before trying to barge into Lee Jackson’s flat in Chesterton Close in the early hours of October 22.

The qualified engineer went to confront Mr Jackson about a fire he suspected him of starting earlier the same night at his girlfriend’s father’s home in Coltsfoot Road, Ipswich.

He told police he had wanted to go round to his flat to “shake him up a bit”.

When paramedics arrived they found Mr Jackson unconscious and spent 30 minutes trying to resuscitate him. Despite their best efforts he died from “massive blood loss” without regaining consciousness.

Mr Jackson’s 27 injuries included a wound to his neck which damaged his airway and cut his right jugular vein and another which punctured his lung.

A wound to his head was allegedly delivered with such force that the tip of the knife broke off and was left embedded in Mr Jackson’s skull

Giving evidence, Kornjaca – who denied murder – claimed he acted in self-defence after Mr Jackson attacked him with a knife.

Asked by his barrister Gregory Dickinson QC what his aim was when he stabbed Mr Jackson, Kornjaca replied: “To get him to stop stabbing me and make sure I wasn’t going to get stabbed and didn’t die.”

After nearly 15 hours of deliberation the jury of seven men and five women found Felixstowe port worker Kornjaca guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of loss of control in a majority verdict of 10:2.

Judge Devaux, who described the case as “unusual” and “not as straight forward as it may seem on first flush”, told Kornjaca that he would remain in custody until his sentencing on May 31.

Pre-sentence reports will be made during that time.