A man who fatally stabbed his girlfriend in the early hours of New Year’s Day has been found guilty of murder. 

Michael Rolle, 34, was convicted at the Old Bailey on Thursday. He will be sentenced on Friday.

The court heard how the fatal attack happened days after 33-year-old Charlotte and Rolle had argued after she said she wanted their relationship to end.

In the early hours of January 1, police and the London Ambulance Service were called to a residential address in Camberwell, south London, after Huggins had been found with a stab injury.

Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the hours preceding the attack, the victim had been enjoying drinks with a male friend, who knew Rolle, at her address. Shortly before the stabbing, Rolle attended the address and an argument ensued between the two men.

Huggins told her friend to leave but he returned a short while later after realising he had left possessions in the flat. However, as he walked up to the address, Rolle appeared followed by the mother-of-one who shouted that she had been stabbed.

Rolle calmly discarded a knife on the pavement and threatened the male before cycling away from the address.

Police were called and a manhunt began. Rolle was located at an address in Kennington, south London, on 3 January and arrested on suspicion of Huggins’ murder. The bicycle he used on the night of the murder was located and found to have the victim’s blood on it.

Officers also found a letter Rolle had written which tried to claim the stabbing had not been intentional and that his former girlfriend had fallen onto the knife.

Rolle was subsequently charged with Huggins’ murder on 5 January.

Detective Inspector Domenica Catino of the specialist crime command led the investigation said that Rolle took no responsibility for his actions throughout the trial and portrayed himself to be the victim.

“He professed his deep love for Charlotte yet callously watched her take her last few breaths before cowardly cycling away, never stopping to look back, never stopping to help her or even phone for help.

“Rolle had no regard for Charlotte as she lay dying but in giving evidence focused only on the effect it had on him, not considering for a moment the effects on Charlotte’s family, or her 10-year-old child who has to face a future with no mother”.

Catino claimed Rolle instead prioritised fabricating a story to avoid prosecution.

“In the days leading up to his arrest Rolle came up with a truly unbelievable fantasy of Charlotte stabbing herself in the back, making numerous notes to ensure he covered all angles, and then trying to gain sympathy by declaring it to be suicide note,” said the detective.

“These were the efforts of an intensely jealous man who showed no remorse and blamed everyone but himself”.