Man jailed over 'cold-blooded execution' of ex's new partner
Michael Bretton has been sentenced to over 29 years in prison for the murder of his ex-partner's new boyfriend. The court heard that Bretton was obsessed with his former partner and executed the victim with a samurai sword.
Why it matters
The case highlights the dangers of stalking and obsessive behavior, leading to a severe criminal outcome.
Image source, Avon and Somerset Police Image caption, Michael Bretton murdered Craig Hurcombe with a samurai sword after going to his workplace
A man has been jailed for 29 years and six months for murdering his ex-lover's partner in what prosecutors described as a "cold-blooded execution".
Michael Bretton killed Craig Hurcombe with a samurai sword after going to his workplace in Somerset to "confront him" on 1 January, Bristol Crown Court heard. He then buried him in a shallow grave on the site.
The jury was told Bretton, 41, from Dorset, was "obsessed" with Kate Saunders , who was seeing Hurcombe at the time of his death and who Bretton had once had a casual relationship with.
Bretton claimed Hurcombe, 39, from Rowde, near Devizes in Wiltshire, fell and impaled himself on a metal shaft but the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.
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