Dorset man guilty of murdering love rival with samurai sword

Dorset man guilty of murdering love rival with samurai sword Michael Bretton was arrested in January and has now been convicted of the murder of Craig Hurcombe - Bookmark A man has been convicted of the "cold-blooded execution" of his former lover's new partner, whom he killed with a samurai sword. Michael Bretton, 41, was found guilty of murdering Craig Hurcombe, 39, in Gurney Slade, Somerset, on 1 January. Bristol Crown Court heard that Mr Hurcombe had been in a relationship with Kate Saunders, which ended in 2023. Ms Saunders and Bretton had subsequently met through an online dating website, leading to a casual relationship. However, when Ms Saunders and Mr Hurcombe rekindled their romance, Bretton became "clearly jealous". Bretton, who worked in a chocolate factory, attended Mr Hurcombe’s work yard on New Year's Day to confront him. He used a samurai sword to kill Mr Hurcombe before burying his body in a shallow grave. The defendant, from Shaftesbury, Dorset, denied murder, claiming Mr Hurcombe had died in an accident. However, a jury of seven men and five women unanimously convicted him after a two-week trial. Judge William Hart told the jury: "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 praised Mr Hurcombe’s family for their "dignity and restraint" throughout the proceedings, describing the case as "extraordinary". He added: "If you read about this case, you would think it is something from a crime novel." Prosecutor Mark Cotter KC revealed that Bretton had fitted trackers to the cars of both Ms Saunders and Mr Hurcombe. He told jurors this behaviour escalated, culminating in the murder. "It was a pre-meditated and cold-blooded execution, carried out with the use of a sword," Mr Cotter said. He added: "What is clear from the evidence is that Mr Bretton was obsessed with Kate Saunders and was clearly jealous of her renewed relationship with Craig Hurcombe." The court heard Mr Hurcombe, from Devizes, went to work at Blanchard’s yard in Gurney Slade on the evening of 1 January. CCTV footage showed him waving to a camera at 6.26pm as he walked towards his lorry, believed to be shortly before his death. Mr Hurcombe was reported missing by his mother on 10 January, and his body was discovered in a shallow grave in woodland at his work site on 14 January. Pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery concluded he died from a single lengthy stab injury through his torso. A rusty samurai sword, having been in water, was later recovered from the River Stour. Bretton was arrested on 12 January and made no comment during interviews, apart from denying wrongdoing. He maintained during the trial that Mr Hurcombe’s death was an accident. Judge Hart is scheduled to sentence Bretton on Friday afternoon.