A man has been found guilty of murdering his ex-lover's partner in what prosecutors described as a
cold-blooded execution. Michael Bretton killed lorry driver Craig Hurcombe with a samurai sword after going to his workplace in Somerset to
confront himon 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
obsessedwith 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.
What did the court hear about the relationship?
The court heard Bretton and Saunders met online but she ended contact with him after he tried to formalise their relationship. She went on to rekindle an old relationship with Hurcombe, but prosecutors said Bretton remained
obsessedwith her and was
clearly jealous.
How was Craig Hurcombe last seen alive?
Hurcombe was last seen alive on CCTV footage as he arrived at his job at TJ Blanchard Limited in Gurney Slade, Somerset, on 1 January. Bretton admitted following Hurcombe to his workplace that night, claiming he planned to confront him to warn him not to
mistreatSaunders.
The killing took place at Hurcombe's workplace, where prosecutors said Bretton attacked him with a samurai sword before burying his body in a shallow grave on the site. Bretton's account that Hurcombe fell onto a metal shaft was rejected by the jury, who found him guilty of murder.
What other information was given to the court?
Bretton, 41, is from Dorset, while Hurcombe, 39, was from Rowde, near Devizes in Wiltshire. Saunders and Bretton had previously had a casual relationship, and the court heard their contact began online before she ended it when he tried to make the relationship formal.
Prosecutors said Bretton's feelings towards Saunders continued after she resumed her relationship with Hurcombe. They described his actions as driven by jealousy and said he had gone to the Somerset site intending to confront Hurcombe.
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Key Facts
- Michael Bretton, 41, from Dorset, was found guilty of murdering Craig Hurcombe.
- The killing happened at TJ Blanchard Limited in Gurney Slade, Somerset, on 1 January.
- Prosecutors described the attack as a
cold-blooded execution
. - Hurcombe, 39, was last seen alive on CCTV arriving at work on 1 January.
- Bretton claimed Hurcombe fell and impaled himself on a metal shaft, but the jury rejected that account.
