Quiet, caring and selfless, Jason Brockbanks would have been an easy target for heartless killer Aaron Ray.
That's the view of a friend of the stabbed student, who has today told of her shock and devastation as Ray was convicted of murder.
Northumbria University undergraduate Jason had been loving life in Newcastle before he was knifed to death in his city centre student accommodation in September.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Ray, 21, who had been in a relationship with 24-year-old Jason, launched a violent attack with a knife after finding messages between his boyfriend and other men on his phone.
He then callously left his victim alone to die.
Amy Dobson, who grew-up with Jason in Whitehaven in Cumbria, was devastated when she heard of her friend's violent death.
And the 23-year-old has today told how trusting Jason, who always put others first, would have been an easy target for violent Ray.
Amy said: "He would have seen the best in Aaron Ray and he would have trusted him. He was so quiet and he cared so much about other people some people did take advantage of him.
"I can never imagine him doing anything to upset him. He always put other people first and he loved to learn about other people, he was a real people person.
"When we found out it was just complete, utter shock. It was a massive shock because of who he was. He was the last person you would expect this to happen to.
"He was the last person that would deserve this, he was an absolute sweetheart.. He always cared about other people."
Ray and Jason had enjoyed a night out in Newcastle in the hours before the fatal attack and there was no sign of trouble until they were on their way back to Jason's flat at Mansion Tyne, on Howard Street, on the outskirts of Newcastle city centre, jurors heard.
Footage outside the student accommodation shows Ray kick Jason in the leg as he sits on a wall before the pair enter the building.
Once inside, Ray took Jason's phone into the bathroom and recorded himself scrolling through messages between Jason and other men on the dating app Grindr.
Moments later, he stabbed Jason before leaving him to die and he wasn't found for three days.
Ray, of Mayfield Road, Sunderland, claimed Jason had attacked him and he picked a knife up to defend himself but jurors at Newcastle Crown Court unanimously convicted him of murder. He will be jailed for life and will find out on Thursday how long he must serve behind bars before he has any hope of parole.
Amy, who works as a housing assistant, told the Chronicle she was relieved to see her friend's killer convicted, but she remains haunted by what Jason went through in the final moments of his life.
"It's better than nothing, but I don't think there can ever be any justice for what's happened," she said.
"It's just horrible to think what he went through. When it first came out that it happened in his apartment at university, I think that made it even worse. He should have been safe there."
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