A TEENAGER faces a life jail term after he was found guilty of murdering a father-to-be in a drugs row.

The 17-year-old drug dealer, who cannot be named because he is under 18, was convicted of murdering Alan Reilly, 25, at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

The youth of Hackney, East London, admitted stabbing Mr Reilly, a drug addict from Silver End, but denied murdering him, claiming he was acting in self-defence.

The jury of six men and six women took 24 hours to return the unanimous guilty verdict.

Judge Christopher Ball QC said he understood the impact Mr Reilly’s murder had on his mother and partner, Rachel Murphy, who gave birth a week before his funeral.

He added: “While Alan had his problems, he was a much loved individual and there was much which was positive about him.”

He said the families of both the youth and Mr Reilly had behaved impeccably throughout the trial.

Mr Justice Ball added the youth should expect a life term of detention, but adjourned the case until July to allow the teenager to be visited by a pyschiatrist.

He refused to lift an order which bans newspapers naming him.

Mr Reilly was found in Coldnailhurst Avenue, Bocking, on April 22 last year.

A post-mortem examination showed he received nine stab wounds – five in the back and four to the front of his body.

One wound was 16cm deep. Three wounds had cut through to the bone.

During the course of the 18-day trial, the court heard Mr Reilly had a crack cocaine habit and the youth would come to Braintree to supply drugs.

On the night in question, Mr Reilly had arranged with an unknown dealer to buy some crack cocaine in Lancaster Way, Bocking, but became angry when he failed to get any drugs.

He then demanded drugs from the youth who had arrived at the scene with three friends.

Mr Reilly punched one of the group and headbutted the youth, causing him to bleed from the nose.

John Dodd QC, prosecuting, said the youth stabbed Mr Reilly in revenge after he lost face in front of his friends.

He returned to the scene with a meat knife he had taken from the kitchen of a nearby home and, responding to cries of “shank him”, stabbed Mr Reilly.

The court heard others joined in the attack, but no-one else has been prosecuted.

Mr Reilly staggered to Coldnailhurst Avenue where he died within half-an-hour, the court was told.

The jury heard the murder weapon has never been found but a knife sheath covered with the youth’s blood and finger prints was found at the scene.

After the verdict, the court heard the youth had a history of carrying knives with previous convictions stretching back to 2006 when he was 14.

He appeared in court in March and May 2007 for carrying a knife.

Four months before Mr Reilly’s death, he was sentenced for carrying a 3in blade.