A man who stabbed a young father to death has been jailed for seven years.

Matthew Jones, 25, bled to death from a single stab wound after a violent confrontation with a former neighbour in the street where he lived in Hastings.

Ricky Smith, 22, who claimed he acted in self-defence, was cleared of murder by a jury at Lewes Crown Court following a three-week trial.

Smith was convicted of manslaughter by a ten to two majority after the jury spent more than 12 hours considering its verdict over three days.

Judge Richard Brown told Smith he had taken into account his age and the fact he had no previous convictions when passing sentence.

He said: "No sentence this court can impose can ever start to put a value on a life lost or restore a loved one to a family.

"This case yet again illustrates the disasters that occur when people arm themselves with knives."

During the trial the jury 1heard the fatal attack happened when Mr Jones confronted Smith about making a pass at his partner Shirley Simpson.

Mr Jones, a welder, lived next door to Smith's family in Churchill Avenue. In September last year, when Smith visited his family, Mr Jones went to the house and challenged him to a fight.

Smith, of Millward Road, Hastings, told the jury he acted in self-defence when he used the five-inch blade because he felt threatened and believed Mr Jones had a knife in his pocket.

He said: "My intention was not to fatally harm him."

Nicholas Valios QC, defending, said Smith had a good nature and had always maintained he had not intended to kill Mr Jones.

He said: "This action was wholly out of character."

Mr Jones' family packed the public gallery to hear the verdicts.

Afterwards they issued a statement paying tribute to him. The statement said: "Our family lost a dearly loved son, brother and daddy.

"Nothing can ever replace Matthew, there will always be an empty chair at our family dinners.

"We love and miss him so very much. He never deserved to die that day, a part of each of us died with him. To us he was our beautiful boy with such a lovely smile. He was kind, gentle, thoughtful and always liked doing things properly."

The family are supporting a nationwide knife amnesty being launched next week by police.

The family added: "Too many people carry knives these days, too many people are dying because of this.

"We urge people who have knives to hand them in before other parents have to go through what we are doing through."