Michael Elendu, a Nigerian-Canadian convicted nearly three years ago of murdering his roommate, has been found guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter following a retrial.

Mr Elendu, 24, was initially charged with second-degree murder in the sword-stabbing death of Kyreese Wright, 20, who was killed in December 2020.

Although he was convicted of murder in 2023, the Alberta Court of Appeal overturned Mr Elendu’s conviction and ordered a new trial.

A Court of King’s Bench, Justice Nancy Dilts, during the trial on Monday, acquitted him of murder but said he was guilty of manslaughter.

The judge stated that while Mr Elendu “made a string of thoughtless decisions”, there was “insufficient reliable evidence” to convict him of murder.

Ms Dilts noted that she had doubts the killer intended to cause the serious bodily harm inflicted on the deceased, who was stabbed in the chest with the offender’s sword.

The judge further explained that there were inconsistencies in the evidence of the witnesses called by Crown prosecutor Samina Dhalla regarding the incident.

“I agree with Ms Dhalla that it is unrealistic to expect that there be no inconsistencies in the evidence,” Ms Dilts said.

A sentencing hearing on the manslaughter charge would be announced at a later date.