A builder who choked his boss to death has been cleared of murder, manslaughter and assault and jailed for 20 weeks for theft.
Paul Johnson killed Steve Coulson, 47, at his home in Stakeford, Northumberland, after putting him in a chokehold before raiding his safe and stealing £256 to fund his crack cocaine habit.
Johnson, 34, failed to get medical help and remained in the flat for two hours, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Johnson admitted killing his friend and employer but was found not guilty of murder and assault with intent to rob and instead given a 20-week prison sentence.
But he will be released immediately having served 183 days on remand in prison.
Paul Johnson (left) killed Steve Coulson (right) after putting him in a chokehold
Giving evidence last week, Johnson, who has no previous convictions and a caution from 2003, said he 'loved Mr Coulson to bits' but added his friend was 'very bad tempered'.
He said earlier in the night he had taken his father's morphine and £50 of his cash to buy crack cocaine and planned to kill himself by jumping in a river.
By 4.30am, he had called Mr Coulson and arranged to go to his home.
But he claimed his friend went 'berserk' and was 'like a man possessed' so he put his arm around his neck from behind to restrain him.
He said he then followed Mr Coulson into his room and sat on a mattress he had recently bought and bounced on it and asked what it was like.
Johnson told jurors: 'That's when he started shouting at me about work and drugs saying 'look at the f****** state of you, you need to do this and that, you need to sort your head out',' he said.
Johnson said he told him he had not been smoking crack that night in case it 'made him even worse'.
He added: 'That's when he hit me, punched me in the eye like a rabbit punch. He was completely going crazy, I couldn't understand most of the stuff he was saying.
'He was slavering and screaming and I was trying to calm him down. I was under the impression he was going to attack me again.
Johnson killed his friend at his home in Stakeford, Northumberland. Pictured, police at the scene
'I put him in the
