Son killed neighbour who insulted his mum and buried body in woods

An angry son is facing jail for killing a friend who insulted his mother – and then burning his body in woodland.

Kane Burns, 26, killed his friend Mohamed Megherbi, 24, after a violent row in his flat.

Kane then buried him in a shallow grave and set fire to his body.

Burns initially denied murder – but today pleaded guilty to manslaughter by accepting he "went too far in self defence".

On the night of the killing, neighbours described hearing “loud banging” and arguing between two men at Burns’ flat in Cardiff.

One neighbour, Laura Welsh, says she heard a loud bang followed by the sound of something being dragged across the floor.

After the commotion in the flat, Burns was seen buying lighter fluid, matches, bleach and paper towels at a nearby petrol station.

A murder trial had heard Burns used a 2ft long sword, an axe and a machete to slaughter Mr Megherbi in the brutal killing.

Burns admitted what he had done to a friend: "I stabbed him up because he was saying stuff about my mother. The c*** is dead.”

Prosecutor Michael Jones said: “Mohammed Megherbi received catastrophic and fatal head injuries.

“Kane Burns then made every conceivable effort to conceal that murder.

“Burns took great efforts to dispose and bury the body in a shallow grave in a woodland.”

When police raided his flat in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff for an unrelated matter, they spotted blood staining on the furniture and blinds.

Samples of blood positively matched with that of Mr Megherbi.

Mr Jones said: “Remains of the body of Mr Megherbi were discovered in a shallow grave in the undergrowth near a subway.

“Forensic anthropologists concluded that fractures to the skull were consistent with a sharp impact with an object such as a machete, axe or cleaver.

“Police recovered an axe and a machete from Burns’ flat and a sword was found near the burial site with Mr Megherbi’s blood on the tip.”

Cardiff Crown Court heard the remains were mostly skeletonised with evidence of burning to the top of the skull.

Mr Jones said: “The two parties obviously knew one another.

“A fight or struggle was heard in the flat including the sound of something being dragged across the floor.

“An axe, a machete and sword were found which are forensically consistent with the injuries sustained.”

The court heard Mr Megherbi was last seen on October 9 and his body was found on November 30.

The victim was originally from Algeria and officers traced his mother in Algeria to give her the news.

Burns, of Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next week.