A man has been found guilty of murdering a 39-year-old who was battered with a baseball bat and stabbed in the neck before blaming it on two innocent people.

Janaed Saeed Akhtar, aged 40, formerly of Cope Road, Banbury, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict today (Tuesday, July 16) with one count of murder and one count of perverting the course of justice, following a trial lasting three weeks at Oxford Crown Court.

In the early hours of Wednesday, January 3 this year, Neil Comins was attacked by Akhtar with a baseball bat, sustaining extensive serious injuries.

Mr Comins died in hospital the following day (January 4).

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Akhtar had attacked Mr Comins, hitting him in the head with a baseball bat and stabbing him to the right side of his neck, before calling 999 himself to ask emergency services to attend.

Mr Comins underwent surgery for a significant head injury, but died at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

A post-mortem examination ascertained that Mr Comins had died as a result of traumatic head injury.

In order to divert police attention away from him as a suspect, Akhtar attempted to implicate two innocent people who were co-residents of the property at which Akhtar lived.

One was implicated for the murder and another for an alleged assault on Mr Comins a few days’ earlier.

The false allegations made by Akhtar led police away from him as a suspect and resulted in two people being arrested for an offence that they did not commit.

However, DNA evidence was found on the baseball bat that belonged to Akhtar, and was also found from Mr Comins’ blood on a trainer, and Akhtar was charged with murder on January 10.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Mike Roddy, of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, said: “This attack by Akhtar on Mr Comins was violent in the extreme and completely needless.

“Whatever the motives for the attack, it was clear that Akhtar intended to cause Mr Comins at least very serious harm that night.

“He then made allegations against co-residents, and he has never accepted any responsibility for this murder, this despite DNA evidence being found on the baseball bat that belonged to him.

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“This shows that Akhtar cared for nobody other than himself, and throughout this investigation, he has shown not one shred of remorse, and still denies any involvement, despite the weight of DNA evidence against him."

He added: “I would like to pay tribute to Mr Comins’ family at this extremely difficult time.

“They have been dignified throughout the course of this investigation, and my thoughts remain with them all.

“I know that no court outcome will serve as solace for Mr Comins’ family and friends, but I do hope that this conviction will offer a small measure of closure for them all in the knowledge that we have brought Akhtar to justice.”

Akhtar will be sentenced at the same court on a date to be confirmed in September.