A Dorset man, Michael Bretton, has been jailed for 29 years and six months after being convicted of murdering 39‑year‑old Craig Hurcombe with a samurai sword at his Somerset workplace on 1 January. Prosecutors said the attack was premeditated and motivated by jealousy over a former casual partner. Bretton buried the body, burned Hurcombe's clothes and car, and used the victim's SIM card to send misleading messages. The jury rejected Bretton's claim that the death was an accident.
Samurai Sword Murder: Dorset Man Jailed 29 Years and 6 Months for 'Cold‑Blooded' Killing of Ex’s Partner
Michael Bretton murdered Craig Hurcombe with a samurai sword after going to his workplace [Avon and Somerset Police]
A Dorset man has been sentenced to 29 years and six months after being convicted of murdering his former lover's partner with a samurai sword in what prosecutors described as a "cold‑blooded execution." The attack took place at the victim's workplace in Somerset on 1 January, and the victim's remains were recovered two weeks later.
What Happened
Michael Bretton, 41, travelled to TJ Blanchard Limited in Gurney Slade, Somerset, where 39‑year‑old Craig Hurcombe worked. Prosecutors told Bristol Crown Court that Bretton followed Hurcombe to the yard that night, attacked him with a samurai sword and buried him in a shallow grave on the site.
Michael Bretton said he had gone to talk to confront Craig Hurcombe (pictured) at his workplace, but that his death was an accident [Family handout]
Evidence at Trial
CCTV footage captured Hurcombe arriving for work on 1 January. A post‑mortem concluded he died from a single lengthy stab wound. Prosecutors said Bretton removed the SIM card from Hurcombe's phone, inserted it into his own device and sent messages from Hurcombe's number to Hurcombe's former casual partner, Kate Saunders, in an apparent attempt to mislead her and delay concern.
Bretton told the court he had gone to "confront" Hurcombe and claimed the death was a "tragic accident" in which Hurcombe fell onto a sharp metal shaft. The jury rejected this account and found him unanimously guilty. Bretton later admitted burning Hurcombe's clothes, setting his car alight on a nearby lane, and burying the body because he said he "wanted to cover up what had happened."
Bretton said he burned Hurcombe's clothes and drove his car to a nearby lane and set it on fire [Avon and Somerset Police]
Motivation and Sentencing
Prosecutors said Bretton had been "obsessed" with Kate Saunders and was motivated by jealousy after she rekindled a relationship with Hurcombe. At sentencing, His Honour Judge Hart described the offence as "extraordinary," likening it to something from a crime novel, and called Bretton a "cowardly and secret assassin," saying the attack gave Hurcombe no chance to survive.
"You were motivated by jealousy about a refusal to accept that you have been supplanted in her affections. It wasn't love... you took him by surprise. You didn't give him the slightest chance to live," said the judge.
"His loss to us all is beyond measure," said Nicola Hurcombe, Craig's mother. "There were over 210 people that attended Craig's funeral — a testament to the impact he had on so many lives."
Detective Inspector Neil Meade described the offence as "horrendous," emphasising how frightening the attack must have been for the victim in a lonely workplace late at night.
Hurcombe's remains were found in the Somerset countryside two weeks after he disappeared [BBC]
Bretton was also charged with stalking Saunders; the jury was not asked to return a verdict on that charge, but the judge said he would take the allegation into account when passing sentence.
Case Status
Bretton received a custodial sentence of 29 years and six months. The case drew attention for its brutality, the premeditated elements alleged by prosecutors, and the subsequent steps Bretton took to conceal the crime.
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