A man has been found guilty of murdering his former lover’s new partner in what has been described as a “cold-blooded execution”.
Michael Bretton, 41, was convicted of killing Craig Hurcombe in Gurney Slade on 1 January, using a samurai sword.
Bristol Crown Court heard that Mr Hurcombe, 39, had previously been in a relationship with a woman named Kate Saunders which ended in 2023. Two years later, Ms Saunders and Bretton began a casual relationship after meeting on an online dating website.
READ MORE: Plans Submitted for 30 New Homes Near Playing Fields in Somerset Village
READ MORE: Worle Village Primary School Praised in Vibrant Ofsted Report
However, Ms Saunders later rekindled her relationship with Mr Hurcombe, leaving Bretton “clearly jealous”. Bretton, who worked at a chocolate factory, confronted Mr Hurcombe at his work yard on 1 January.
It is believed Bretton used the samurai sword to kill Mr Hurcombe before burying his body in a shallow grave. The defendant, from Shaftesbury, Dorset, denied the murder charge, claiming Mr Hurcombe had died accidentally.
After a two-week trial, a jury of seven men and five women unanimously found Bretton guilty of murder.
Sentencing, Judge William Hart reminded the court that the only sentence available for murder was a life term. He said he must next determine the minimum time Bretton must serve before being eligible for release on licence.
The judge paid tribute to Mr Hurcombe’s family, praising their “dignity and restraint” during the proceedings. He described the case as “extraordinary”, saying it resembled a crime novel.
Prosecutor Mark Cotter KC outlined Bremton’s increasing obsession, including fitting trackers to the vehicles of Ms Saunders and Mr Hurcombe, culminating in the murder.
“It was a premeditated and cold-blooded execution, carried out with the use of a sword,” Mr Cotter said. “The evidence shows Mr Bretton was obsessed with Kate Saunders and jealous of her renewed relationship with Craig Hurcombe.”
Mr Hurcombe, originally from Devizes, was working at Blanchard’s yard in Gurney Slade on the evening of 1 January. CCTV footage showed him waving at 6:26pm as he approached his lorry, believed to be shortly before his death.
He was reported missing by his mother on 10 January, and his body was found in a shallow grave in woodland on the work site on 14 January.
Pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery conducted a post-mortem and concluded Mr Hurcombe died from a single lengthy stab wound penetrating his torso.
A rusty samurai sword, believed to have been submerged in water, was recovered from the River Stour near Sturminster Newton in recent weeks.
Bretton was arrested on 12 January and largely remained silent during police interviews, apart from denying any wrongdoing. During the trial, he maintained that Mr Hurcombe died accidentally.
Judge Hart is due to sentence Bretton on Friday afternoon.