THE mum who fatally stabbed 23-year-old Kyle Byfield will serve at least 18 years behind bars, a judge said today.

Natasha Capell, 26, denied murdering Mr Byfield after stabbing him in the chest with a 12-inch kitchen knife at her home in Jubilee Court, Banbury, in April.

Mr Byfield was taken to hospital but died later that day.

Yesterday a jury at Oxford Crown Court returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

Handing Capell a life sentence this morning, Judge Patrick Eccles said: "He was only 23 years old at the time and had done you no harm, apart possibly from refusing to leave your flat when you asked him to.

"It was a life cut unnecessarily short because you were unable to control your drinking or manage your temper.

"At the time you killed him he was a lively and loving son, a devoted brother still grieving for the loss of his sister 10 years ago, and a marvellous support to the young woman he hoped would be his life partner.

"Kyle had so much to contribute and so much life to live that his family and friends will never come to terms with such a senseless crime that has taken him from them."

Judge Eccles said the minimum starting point for Capell's sentence would have been 15 years.

But he said her final sentence was a in view of her conscious decision to fetch the knife from the kitchen, her decision to lie to police and paramedics about how Mr Byfield was injured and attempt to dispose of the knife, as well as her previous convictions.

Senior investigating officer, Det Supt Chris Ward, from the Major Crime Unit at Thames Valley Police, said yesterdfay: “Our condolences and thoughts remain with Kyles’s family and friends.

“I would like to thank them for their support throughout this very difficult time.