A JURY this afternoon cleared a man of murdering his friend in a street fight after he was called "a divvy".

Craig Conway admitted killing Simon Bennett in the arranged clash in Thorntree, Middlesbrough, in May.

The 30-year-old denied a charge of murder and prosecution claims that he took a knife to the scene.

He said he found something on the ground as they tussled, and swung a punch with it in his hand.

Mr Bennett, 28, suffered a single stab wound to the heart and died of catastrophic blood loss within an hour.

The jury of seven women and five men took three-and-a-half hours to reach its verdict this afternoon.

The two men - who had been friends for years - are said to have argued about rumours in their neighbourhood.

They arranged to meet for a fight on May 8 and clashed at The Greenway at about 11.30pm, a court heard.

Mr Bennett had a fearsome reputation, and the prosecution said Conway took a weapon as he feared a beating.

Conway, of Epworth Green, Middlesbrough, will be sentenced on Monday by Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.

The verdict was met with tears in the public gallery, and some of Mr Bennett's family stormed out.

One woman shouted: "Scum, absolute scum. Murderer, that's what you are" as she left.