The jury has found one of the three defendants in the Daniel Adger murder trial guilty.

Zakaria Lahrar, 20, of Dee Close, Upminster, was found guilty by a unanimous verdict from the jury after one and a half days of deliberations.

Emotions ran high in the court room with one woman becoming physically upset when Judge John Lodge indicated a life sentence is possible.

Mr Adger's family shouted "yes" when the verdict was read out.

Two other men, Connall Cocker-Dawkins, 20, of Denmark Road, London, and Lee Dowman, 51, of Lytton Road, Grays stood trial for the murder of Daniel Adger, but they were acquitted after the jury were allowed to give a majority verdict of at least 10 out of 12.

Dramatic scenes entailed as the two remaining suspects were cleared. Cocker-Dawkins fell to the floor in tears and was audibly crying as he was assisted out of the court room by a bailiff.

Adger's mother, Diane, was visibly distressed and launched her headset across the room exclaiming she "could not hear" the verdict.

Cocker-Dawkins returned to the court room to be sentenced for two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs - namely cocaine and heroin.

The court heard how Cocker-Dawkins had worked as a drug runner. He pleaded guilty to this at the beginning of the trial. 

Defending Cocker-Dawkins, Giles Cockings said: "He was a drug runner, which is at the bottom of any hierarchy."

Cocker-Dawkins was given a three year sentence at a young offenders institute for both counts of drug offences to run concurrently.

Sentencing, Judge Lodge, said: "Over the last month, you have seen through a trial, which shows everybody who attended, the wicked results of a drug culture."

Daniel Adger, 34, died after suffering three deep cuts to his head, hand and leg following an incident on Eden Green in South Ockendon on August 21, 2017.

Another man, Daniel Boakye, 30, of Western Green, Dagenham, admitted murdering Mr Adger before the trial began and is awaiting sentencing.

Lahrar will be sentenced alongside Boakye.

Judge Lodge told the jury: "The two defendants convicted for the same offence have to be sentenced together.

"The sentence has to be life imprisonment but I have to decide what the minimum is before somebody can be released on licence."

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Daniel Adger was deeply loved by his family and they miss him a great deal.

"His mother Diane has been present throughout the trial and has listened to evidence about her son’s suffering that no mother should have to hear. 

“The evidence clearly showed that Boakye and Lahrar conspired to attack Mr Adger and worked together before, during, and after the attack. 

“Mr Adger was brutally attacked in the street by Boakye, a coward who armed himself with a machete and who inflicted the several terrible wounds that led to Mr Adger’s death. He then sauntered away and left him dying at the road-side. 

“I would like to thank the members of public who bravely ran to help Mr Adger, providing him help, care, and comfort in his last moments."