A MAN who stabbed a grandfather to death and then brazenly used the victim’s phone to call police asking for a lift has been convicted of murder.

Daniel Johnson will serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars for killing David Wilson, 49, as he lay in bed in his Sunderland flat.

Johnson, of Morris Street, Gateshead, who had earlier been drinking at a nearby house party, had denied murder.

But he was found guilty of the “brutal” killing at Newcastle Crown Court.

The hearing was told how Johnson was at a party on December 14, 2014. A jury saw footage of him pouring alcohol into his eyes and dancing before the murder.

After he he left the party he came across Mr Wilson’s partner, who had left their Southwick Road flat to get a takeaway.

Johnson took the man’s house keys before running off and letting himself into the flat where his victim was asleep.

He then straddled his victim and repeatedly stabbed him through his duvet.

Det Chf Insp Mark Ord, of Northumbria Police, said it was a “stranger” murder and Johnson did not know his victim.

“David was brutally murdered when he was most likely asleep. We focused on CCTV footage showing the attempted robbery of David’s partner at a cash point”, he said.

“The second key piece of evidence was a call being made to the police that morning from David’s phone at 04:41 asking for a lift - these were the two pieces of a complex jigsaw that we needed to fill in.”