Andre Kirk Everett Hypolite was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for murdering fellow drug user Nicholas Dill because he spurned sexual advances.

Hypolite, 33, was convicted of the killing by a jury in April, which also found him guilty of wounding Mr. Dill?s girlfriend Stacy Ann Pike with intent to do her grievous bodily harm.

He showed no visible emotion as the sentence ? which carries a minimum of 15 years behind bars but could be indefinite ? was handed down. His lawyer Mark Pettinghill said afterwards that an appeal against the conviction will be heard later this year.

Mr. Pettinghill had previously said of the guilty verdict: ?I don?t think I have ever seen a case where, in my mind, there was more reasonable doubt raised.?

The trial had heard how father-of-two Mr. Dill ? known as Nicky ? was stabbed to death at his home in Pearman?s Hill, Warwick, by Hypolite after a drug-taking session on Boxing Day 2004.

Ms Pike gave evidence that she and the two men smoked crack cocaine and indulged in oral sex before Hypolite asked to have anal sex with 43-year-old Mr. Dill.

Mr. Dill initially agreed but then withdrew his consent, causing Hypolite to grab a knife and stab him.

Ms Pike was injured as she tried to stop the struggle between the two men.

The noise from the fight caused Mr. Dill?s family in a nearby home to call Police, after which Hypolite fled the scene. Mr. Dill died after being taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

His killer was arrested three days later after an Island-wide search.

The legal submissions at the sentencing hearing yesterday focused on the conviction for wounding Ms Pike, since murder carries a mandatory life term. Crown Counsel Oonagh Vaucrosson read a statement from Ms Pike detailing the impact that the crime had upon her. She described how she has a permanent scar from a wound to her forehead.

?Although I have pretty much made a recovery physically, the emotional impact has been draining and depressing,? she said, adding: ?I don?t think I will ever be able to forget what happened that day.?

Mr. Pettinghill said his client maintained his innocence.

Hypolite did not speak in his own defence when invited to do so.

Mr. Justice Greaves told him that the mandatory penalty for murder is life imprisonment.

The judge commented that that the attack on Ms Pike and her experience of seeing her boyfriend murdered was an ?extremely traumatic event? for her.

He sentenced Hypolite to a five year jail term for his attack on Ms Pike, to run concurrently with the life sentence. He went on to note that, in his opinion, Hypolite seemed unable to handle rejection which seemed to spark ?a high degree of anger? in him.

?I?m no trained psychologist or a psychiatrist, but that?s a concern raised by me based on observations,? he said, ordering that the defendant should undergo psychological assessment regarding this issue while in prison.

Mr. Justice Greaves did not specify how many years Hypolite must spend behind bars before he will be considered for release.