A MAN accused of murdering a love rival with a samurai sword in Somerset has been found guilty of murder by a jury.
The defendant, Michael Bretton, 41, of Armoury Yard, Shaftesbury, Dorset, appeared before Bristol Crown Court for trial, accused of killing 39-year-old Craig Hurcombe, a lorry driver from Wiltshire, with a samurai sword.
Today, Bretton has been convicted of the murder of Craig Hurcombe in Bristol Crown Court after the jury reached its verdict.
Bretton will be sentenced this afternoon (Friday, July 31).
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The court previously heard from Dr Amanda Jeffrey, a Home Office forensic pathologist, who said Mr Hurcombe died from a 'gaping horizontal stab wound' which caused 'catastrophic damage' to his heart and internal bleeding.
She said: "The wound resulted in extensive internal bleeding and catastrophic damage to the heart.
"The severity of the damage to the heart would result in swift and instantaneous collapse and cardiac arrest."
She concluded in her post-mortem report that the force used to create the wound would have been at least moderate.
Earlier in the trial, it was heard that Bretton had been romantically involved with Ms Kate Saunders and then, after their relationship ended, he discovered she had rekindled her previous relationship with Mr Hurcombe.
The jury heard that before Mr Hurcombe's death Bretton was 'obsessed,' planted tracking devices on both his and Ms Saunders' cars, contacted her relatives, appeared outside her house, and at Mr Hurcombe's place of work, buried and burned Mr Hurcombe's body, clothes and car, took his SIM card and impersonated him over text after his death.
After the jury reached its verdict, Judge William Hart told the court: “There is only one sentence available if a person is convicted of murder.
“That is life imprisonment, but in order to pass sentence, I have to determine the minimum term that Mr Bretton must serve before he is eligible to be considered for release on licence.”
The judge paid tribute to the family of Mr Hurcombe, who he said had behaved with “dignity and restraint” throughout the trial.
“It is an extraordinary case,” the judge said.
“If you read about this case, you would think it is something from a crime novel.”
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