A MAN was stabbed to death by a friend over a text message misunderstanding, a British court has heard.

Neil Brook, of Salford, northern England, was convicted of manslaughter after he "lost it" and killed friend and neighbor Josef Witkowski over a series of misspelled text messages sent between the pair, The Bolton News reported.

Brook, 33, told police he sent 27-year-old Witkowski a joking text message containing the word "mutter," a local colloquialism for a person who behaves in an antisocial or vulgar manner.

However, because of his phone's predictive text program, the message appeared as "What are you on about nutter?" a derogatory British slang word for "deranged."

Witkowski took offence and went to Brook's apartment with a knife, the court heard, but was instead stabbed by Brook and suffered 104 separate injuries in the attack.

Judge Michael Henshell, speaking at Manchester Crown Court, told Brooks that "obviously, the sentence will be a long one."

He was set for sentencing in four weeks.

Read more about predictive text error lead man to kill mate at The Bolton News .