Homeless killer murdered man giving him a place to stay after ‘sensing the devil’ in him

Connor McCarthy chased Peter Littlefair into the street in Harrow, north London, inflicting dozens of injuries

Peter Littlefair, 57, was stabbed 35 times after his murdered claimed he could ‘sense the devil’ in him (Met handout)

A homeless killer murdered a man who had been putting him up after he “sensed the devil” inside of him.

Connor McCarthy killed Peter Littlefair last March, while high on cocaine at the latter’s home in Harrow, north London.

The 39 year-old’s attack started inside the house, before the victim ran into the street in an attempt to seek help. McCarthy followed him with knives and a bottle and continued his assault, inflicting more than 35 injuries.

Police arrived to find 57-year-old Mr Littlefair suffering from multiple stab wounds and he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Officers found McCarthy covered in blood.

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As he was arrested, he told officers: “I am a good person deep down but I could sense the devil in him, I could feel the heat. Oh my God – what have I done?”

Toxicology testing showed McCarthy – who had been staying with Mr Littlefair after becoming homeless in the latter part of 2022 – had taken cocaine on the night of the murder.

McCarthy pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday, 2 February to murder and will be sentenced on Thursday, 25 April.

Mr Littlefair ran out onto Chester Drive, Harrow, for help, before dying from his injuries (Google images)

Met Detective Inspector Laura Nelson said Mr Littlefair’s family has been left devastated by his loss, and that she hoped the guilty plea brought them some small sense of comfort.

“McCarthy was high on drugs when he unleashed a violent and sustained attack on Peter who had invited him into his home and offered him a place to stay,” she said.

“We will never know what prompted the attack, but it is highly likely that McCarthy’s emotions were heightened due to his drug use. His senseless actions in that moment have robbed a family of their loved one.

“I would like to thank the residents of Chester Drive who supported the investigation throughout. They too have lived through this harrowing experience and their courage has contributed to [the] guilty plea.”