A man has been found guilty of murdering one man and attempting to murder another in a homophobic attack in south London.

Gerald Edwards, 59, and his partner Chris Bevan, 57, were victims of a vicious knife attack in their Bromley home, the Old Bailey heard.

Mr Edwards was killed while Mr Bevan survived the unprovoked attack.

David Kilcullen, 46, from Bromley has been remanded in custody to await sentencing on Wednesday. 'Settled relationship'

The victims had lived in a flat in Page Heath Villas, in a quiet part of Bromley, for 18 years and were well known in the area.

Mr Bevan was a care worker at a nearby hospital, while Mr Edwards suffered with ill health and did not work.

Kilcullen lived in a bedsit close to Page Heath Villas.

Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said Kilcullen was armed with a knife and had "intended to kill".

He targeted Mr Edwards because he thought he would be at home on his own and had not expected Mr Bevan to be there too, it was alleged.

Despite surviving the attack, Mr Bevan suffered "catastrophic" injuries, the court was told.

Homophobic crime rise

The victims had lived together for many years and were in a stable and settled relationship, Mr Wright said.

Mr Kilcullen had previously been to their flat and given the impression he found it "distasteful" that the two men were partners, it was claimed.

Senior Metropolitan Police officers have voiced concerns that the number of homophobic crimes in the capital are increasing.

Crimes against gay and lesbian people have increased by almost 14% since April, reflecting a national increase.