These are the grim facts behind the latest drugs-related murder trial in Milton Keynes

Lee Sopp, today convicted of murder, wore a Crusader-style chainmail vest to protect himself when he plunged the knife into 22-year-old Mohamud Hashi.

He killed Mr Hashi, who was known as Snoop, to protect his “turf” from the Somalis in Milton Keynes, a jury at Luton crown court heard.

Sopp, 25, shouted “Yo Snoop” before lunging and stabbing him in the thigh, causing him to quickly bleed to death.

Then he returned to the scene shortly afterwards as police were investigating and coolly asked what was happening, the court heard.

Prosecutor Stuart Trimmer QC said: “He murdered Mohamud Hashi who was also, on 11th December last year, dealing drugs. Lee Sopp killed him in order to protect his turf.“

He said the weapon used by Sopp, who was known as Sosa, was a “fearsome” Rider Stacked Bowie knife.

The location of the killing - in a wooded area in Fishermead - is a place where drugs were regularly sold, he said.

When a search was carried out at his address several weapons were found, including the knife that was used to kill Mr Hashi.

Sopp was wearing was Mr Trimmer described as the ‘Crusader-style chain mail’ with a cross on it that he had purchased on line. He said: “I am wearing chainmail to protect myself from getting stabbed.”

The jury was told Class A drugs and cash were also recovered along with weapons from his Coffee Hall home.

Mr Trimmer said: “This defendant’s collection of dangerous weapons is directly related to the danger drug dealing business he conducted.

“His phone contained messages relating to the violence he had in mind in relation to Somalis. The crown say he armed himself specifically to go up against other drug dealers.“

On the day of the killing Mohamud Hashi was picked up by his friend Abdullahi Koshin Musse.

CCTV showed them arriving in the car park of the shopping centre in Milton Keynes just before 2pm. At around 14.57 Mohamud Hashi received a call from a Lee Davis and they arranged to meet at the Skate Park bridge. Mr Davis went there with another homeless man Joshua Morgan.

They went into the bushes to do the drug deal when Sopp arrived and, according to Joshua Morgan, shouted: “Yo snoop” lunged and stabbed Mr Hashi in the groin area. He said he was jumping around “like a mad man” asking where the drugs were.

A woman who was on her way to collect her daughter from school passed over the Skate Park bridge and heard shouting in the bushes, seeing one man was a knife.

She went to look found Mohamud Hashi face down and bleeding heavily. She called the police and ambulance crews were called, but he was pronounced dead a 16.41, having quickly bled to death.

Mr Trimmer said: “The cause of death was a single stab wound to his right thigh. “It entered his body for 12cm causing complete transection or cut of the right femoral vein and 80 per cent of the right femoral artery.”

Sopp returned to the murder scene between 16.57 and 16.58 that evening and recorded the emergency services activities. He spoke to the police and asked what happened.

In the witness box Sopp told the jury he had just given Mr Hashi a “little jab” with the knife to warn him off his drug dealing patch.

Asked by his barrister Tim Clark QC if he’d intended the knife to go as deep as it did into the thigh of 22 year old Mr Hashi, he replied “No I didn’t intend the knife to go as deep as it did.”

He agreed he had an interest in collecting weapons like crossbows, knuckle dusters, knives and swords.

“I just like weapons,” he told the jury, adding that some were bought to “regulate my drugs business.”

He said he also had a chain mail stab vest telling the court: “As much as I like weapons, I like armour too, like stab proof vests. It was to protect myself.”

Sopp of Daniels Welch, denied murder but was convicted.

He was cleared of aggravated burglary and wounding Kerrie Clarke with intent at her home in Benbow Court, Shenley Church End on the day after the murder.

The jury were told he had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Hashi, two charges having an offence weapon (the Bowie knife and sword), possessing crack cocaine, possessing heroin and possessing criminal property.

Judge Mark Bishop said he will sentence Sopp on Thursday.

Earlier this month another young MK man, 21-year-old Tyriq Alowooja, was jailed for life for murdering 22-year-old Jefferey Wiafe in Oxley Park on New Year's Eve.

Mr Wiafe was also stabbed to death because he was a "drugs rival", the court heard at the time.