Overview
- A jury at Bristol Crown Court found Michael Bretton guilty of murdering 39-year-old lorry driver Craig Hurcombe and the judge sentenced him to life with a minimum term of about 29½ years.
- Prosecutors say Bretton tracked Hurcombe from a North Somerset address to a yard in Gurney Slade on 1 January, where he delivered a single fatal stab wound with a samurai-style sword.
- Investigators recovered Hurcombe’s body buried at the site on 14 January and later found a corroded sword that a pathologist linked to a single penetrating stab to the torso.
- Police evidence documented a campaign of stalking that included purchasing and secretly attaching GPS trackers to vehicles, puncturing tyres, burning Hurcombe’s clothes and car, and using his SIM to impersonate him.
- Senior officers and the Crown Prosecution Service said the case shows how easily available tracking technology can escalate stalking into deadly, premeditated crimes and has urged awareness of the risks.