THE BROTHER of a popular Gwent man who died at the hands of a pair of "cold and calculating" killers hopes they "rot in jail".

A man and a woman were convicted yesterday by a jury of the brutal stabbing of 46-year-old Tony Jenkins at his Risca flat.

Kathleen Carey, 56, was found guilty of the murder of Mr Jenkins, known to friends as 'Scrumpo', at his Holly Road home last May and faces a life sentence.

Carey's companion, Paul Lewis, 55, was cleared of murder but found guilty of the manslaughter of the former coal miner.

During a two-week trial at Cardiff crown court, the jury heard how they left Mr Jenkins to die after he was knifed 18 times. The pair, of Elm Drive, Risca, had denied murder. Violence erupted between them and Mr Jenkins after an argument broke out over cannabis.

Mr Jenkins is believed to have died alone, 20 minutes after suffering wounds to his head, torso, arms and legs.

Speaking after the case, the senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Keen, described the pair as "cold and calculating" killers. He said there were "chilling" CCTV images of Lewis and Carey leaving the flat as Mr Jenkins lay fatally wounded.

Prosecutor Ian Murphy, QC, told the jury the evidence suggested Lewis had held Mr Jenkins on his lounge settee as Carey carried out the knife attack.

"The defendants were alone with Tony Jenkins in his flat for some 50 minutes and the prosecution say they left the flat together after beating, stabbing him and slashing him, probably with a knife."

Lewis told the court Carey had confessed to him that she took a knife and stabbed Mr Jenkins as he grappled with him.

A consultant psychiatrist, Alan Lillywhite, called on behalf of Carey, who did not give evidence during the trial, said he concluded she had been suffering from diminished responsibility by reason of brain damage, alcohol dependency and a personality disorder.

The victim's brother, Derek Jenkins, 42, from Blackwood, spoke after the verdict: "Tony was a very popular man, a really nice bloke and I miss him so much.

"It was such a sad, tragic and terrible way to die. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I hope they (Lewis and Carey) rot in jail for what they have done." Lewis and Carey's sentence was adjourned until next month for the preparation of reports and both were remanded in custody.