A Sudbury father-to-be was violently beaten and stabbed to death by a friend who went by the name of a Scarface film character, a court has heard.

Stefan Bledar Mone, who lived in Fernbank Avenue, was the victim of a “brutal and merciless” attack 20 years ago at the hands of Mane Driza, known to friends as Tony Montana, the Old Bailey heard today.

Stonemason Driza, then aged 21, had become angry at the 23-year-old fellow Albanian, who he accused of stealing his wedding ring, jurors heard.

On the morning of June 22 1999, as Mr Mone took his six months-pregnant girlfriend to a hospital appointment, Driza allegedly told workmates in Watford that he would kill him, even asking one of them to take him to buy a knife, the court heard.

CCTV tracked Driza returning to Sudbury where he allegedly killed Mr Mone in his home.

The court was told he inflicted more than 120 injuries with a lock knife and pick axe handle, cutting Mr Mone’s throat with a curved cheese knife.

Mr Mone’s girlfriend, Zoe Blay, was confronted by a “horrific” scene when she found the body the next day.

Prosecutor Tim Cray said: “Stefan had been stabbed and beaten to death. He had been so badly beaten that Zoe was only really able to confirm it was Stefan from a distinctive belt buckle on his trousers.”

The alleged murder weapons were found next to the body, jurors were told.

By the time of the discovery, Driza had fled on a flight to Italy, his trial was told.

When British police tracked him down in Sicily in 2000, Driza told officers there had been a dispute over money and Mr Mone had approached him with a knife.

But Mr Cray said there was “no justification or excuse for what the defendant did”.

He added: “He told his workmates that he was angry enough to kill and that he intended to kill.

“He travelled to Wembley with murder in his heart and when he found Stefan, he killed him in a way that was brutal and merciless.

“After that he quite coldly and deliberately managed to get himself away from the scene and out of the country. Therefore we seek to prove to you, that he is guilty of the charge of murder.”

Mr Cray said the pair had become friends after arriving in Britain from Albania.

In 1999 Driza would sometimes stay at Mr Mone’s house after his brief marriage broke down, the court heard.

Driza, also known as Sokol Drenova, 41, of no fixed abode, denies murder.

The trial continues.