A woman and two teenage boys have been found guilty of manslaughter after a Dagenham man was stabbed to death in Southend.

Danielle Russell, 26, a 16-year-old boy from Thurrock, and a 17-year-old boy from Basildon, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been standing trial for the murder of 24-year-old Anton Levin.

Mr Levin was found dead after being stabbed at Russell’s home in St Anns Road, Southend, on November 19, last year.

They were all found guilty of manslaughter at Chelmsford Crown Court today.

Following the verdict, Mr Levin’s mum, who wishes to remain anonymous, released a statement describing her son as a “man of great integrity” who is “extremely dedicated to his family and work”.

She added: “It is extremely upsetting that after the passing of my son all I have been hearing about in court is a side that I do not know of him.

“Instead what I do know is that he was a young educated man who had just graduated from Greenwich University and had a bright future ahead of him in the property market.”

During the trial, the court heard how the defendants had planned to rob Mr Levin as they believed he was in possession of heroin and crack cocaine.

As a result, Russell asked Mr Levin to come to her flat so he could sell her drugs and this was where the two teenagers and a third man, Abdul Suleiman, who is still wanted in connection with the attack, were hiding.

Jurors heard how Mr Levin died at the scene from a stab wound to his groin.

Mr Levin’s mum added: “I feel for such a bright and intelligent young man he had his whole life ahead of him, which was cut too short. No one deserves to go so young.

“He was very protective of me and helped me to bring up his little sister too. She misses him a lot as I do as he was a very special son.

“His family will not only miss him but also his friends and colleagues and we all feel like we have lost a shining star. He has had an impact on everybody that knew him and now we all feel a big hole and a massive part of our lives has been taken from us. In this tragic event we lost a son, a brother, and a friend and no matter what, he was always there and cared for anyone who was around him.”

The trio were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit Grievous Bodily Harm on Mr Levin’s friend, Abdullatif Abdulkadir, and conspiracy to commit robbery on Mr Levin.

However, they were found not guilty of attempted murder on Mr Abdulkadir.

Senior Investigating Officer, DCI Simon Werrett, said: “The jury have heard the evidence and have decided Danielle Russell and the two youths were responsible for the death of Anton Levin.

“This was another unnecessary death linked to gang activity in Essex. The defendants have never any shown remorse for the attack and the needless loss of life. Hopefully the family can now move on with their lives.”

Russell and the two teenage boys will be sentenced on July 3 at Chelmsford Crown Court.