A teenager who stabbed his sister's tenant to death was cleared of murder today.

Jahangir Hussain, 18, admitted knifing 27-year-old Fijian Robert Venenavuci in the stomach and heart.

But he told the Old Bailey he reacted during a heated row fearing Mr Venenavuci would attack his older sibling Halima Khatun.

He was cleared of murder and manslaughter by a jury after almost six hours of deliberations at the end of a two-week trial.

The verdicts were met with gasps from the public gallery.

Hussain, who had been on bail during the case, showed little emotion.

The court heard Mr Venenavuci and his girlfriend Kallati Durgha had moved in Miss Khatun's flat in Wood Lane, Isleworth, just a few weeks before his death on October 4 last year.

Within a few days the landlady, who also lived in the two-bedroom apartment, complained to the couple about "the way the flat was being cared for".

On the night of his death Mr Venenavuci drank almost a bottle of vodka in his bedroom, before coming out in to the communal kitchen and lounge area around 10pm.

Miss Khatun and Hussain were in the lounge eating a meal in front of the television with their young niece and an argument broke out.

Hussain told said Mr Venenavuci was drunk, and spoke so close to his sister's face that he was spitting on her.

Mr Venenavuci followed Hussain and Miss Khatum when they went into the kitchen to wash up.

Hussain claimed the victim punched him and made a grab for a knife but he got to the blade first.

"I tried to punch him but it was the knife that hit him on the face," said Hussain.

Miss Durgha, who had been in the bedroom, an to her partner and lifted his top to find two stab wounds, one to the stomach and one to the chest.

Miss Khatun called the emergency services and police found Mr Venenavuci lying spread-eagled on the floor of the flat in Wood Lane.

He was taken to St Mary's Hospital and underwent emergency surgery but died at 2am the following day.

He suffered a wound to the chest which sliced through a ventricle in the heart and second wound penetrated the stomach.

Hussain, of College Road, Isleworth, admitted causing the injuries but claimed he was acting in lawful self-defence.

He was cleared of murder and an alternative of manslaughter.