A man who was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of murder after stabbing his housemate to death in a room they shared in Swindon has been sent to prison for 12 years.
Erdogan Erdogan, 32, was charged with murder and possession of a knife after his roommate Fatih Zengi was killed at 69 Manchester Road on July 2, 2025.
A 12-day jury trial took place at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday, January 7.
The courts heard how Erdogan, a Turkish national, had stabbed his roommate, 27-year-old Fatih Zengi, in his bedroom while he is believed to have been sleeping at the HMO on Manchester Road.
On Thursday, January 22, the jury concluded that Erdogan was not guilty of murder, but was guilty to manslaughter (which is defined as killing a person unintentionally or without planning to do so) as a result of the stabbing.
Appearing for his sentencing at the same court the following day, on Friday, January 23 Erdogan was sentenced to 12 years in prison but could be eligible for release after just eight years.
Erdogan did not receive any additional sentence for the separate offence of 'possessing a knife in a public place' - a charge with the judge declared "pointless" given the circumstances.
Addressing the defendant, HHJ Blair KC said: "You killed Fatih Zengi, a 27-year-old man with whom you were sharing a bedroom with in Swindon.
"His mother's moving words describe how her youngest and closest son had been earning a living for the whole family while he was abroad in Swindon.
"His mother has had her life seriously broken by the loss of Fatih.
"You did not plead guilty to any offence. I can't reduce your sentence for any obvious signs of remorse."
The judge did however make it clear that he did not believe Erdogan, who has no previous convictions, was a "dangerous offender."
Defence lawyer Mr Henry described the killer as a "bewildered and broken man."
CCTV played previously in court has shown Erdogan running barefoot from the house holding a large knife following the stabbing, before he disposed of the knife.
He was seen hours later sharing a drink with a friend outside Costa Coffee on The Parade.
Forensic scientists have described large amounts of blood "dripping from the walls" with blood patterns suggesting that someone was stabbed "on or near the bed" before walking around the property in an attempt to seek help.
The jury heard that just before 5am on July 2, officers who were in the area were alerted to the incident by a passing cyclist.
They found Mr Zengi slumped in the front garden of the property in cardiac arrest and he was rushed to Great Western Hospital, but he was sadly pronounced dead at 6:42am.
A statement, read out at the sentencing on behalf of the victim's mother, Meryem Canli, said: “My son was a quiet angel and they tore him away from us.
"As the youngest in the family, I had raised him with a different kind of affection compared to his siblings. When I received news of his death, I remained in shock for a long time.
"From a young age he worked under kinds of difficult conditions to support his family and fought hard to bring us into a better position.
"I wanted him to remain in my memory as I had raised him.
"However, when I saw his face uncovered at the funeral, in that state, I do not even want to remember it.
"I do not know how I can live with this pain. The person who killed my son, my angel, will not go unpunished."
Concluding the case, HHJ Blair KC thanked the jury for their participation in this "distressing" case.
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