Family forced to watch 'movie-like' torture and murder of father-of-two in Tabley

  • Report by Granada Reports correspondent Tim Scott

A family including two children were forced to watch the brutal torture and murder of a father in a 'movie-like' ordeal carried out by a criminal gang.

Three men have already been convicted of the murder of Brian Waters, and a fourth, an undercover TV researcher who spent 16 years wanted by police, has now also been found guilty.

Christopher Guest More Jr fled abroad following the killing in 2003, and, despite being put on the most-wanted list, evaded police for 16 years before he was finally arrested in Malta in 2019.

Now, 18 years after the murder of Brian Waters, Guest More has been found guilty of his part in the death.

TV researcher guilty of murdering father-of-two in front of children
Brian Waters was murdered in 2003.

What happened?

In 2003, Guest More and three other men broke into Brian's home at Burnt House Farm in Tabley near Knutsford.

It is believed the gang had fallen out with the 44-year-old over a drug debt.

Over the course of three hours, Brian Waters, who had been taken to a cowshed and tied to a chair, sustained more than 120 injuries.

James Raven, John Wilson and Otis Matthews have all be convicted of Brain Waters' murder. Credit: CPS

Mr Waters, and another man - Suleman Razak - was whipped, burned, attacked with a staple gun, hung upside down and lowered into a barrel of dirty water, given electric shocks, burned with acid, stapled and strangled.

A pillowcase was also put over their heads and set on fire.

The gang forced Mr Waters' two children to watch, and even drove his wife to the scene as well.

Detective Inspector Kate Tomlinson said: "They suffer from flashbacks on a daily basis, they can't develop long-term relationships with anybody so that the kids are still living at home - it's going to effect the for the rest of their lives, they're never going to move on from it."

Brian Water's home at Burnt House Farm in Tabley near Knutsford in 2003.

Mr Waters’ son and daughter, who arrived at the farm after their dad, were also tied up and beaten.

His son had a rope placed around his neck and pulled taut to restrain him while he was beaten and his daughter had a gun placed in her mouth.

Both were made to watch events as they unfolded.

His wife Julie was later abducted from the family home in Nantwich by two men and taken to the farm.

Justice 18 years on - family of murdered father release statement

How were police alerted?

A member of the public tipped off police, making a 999 call at 4.06pm from a phone box nearby.

As officers arrived, the offenders fled the scene through neighbouring fields, but left DNA evidence behind.

It was this that linked Guest More to Burnt House Farm.

His DNA was found on a number of items including a glove at the entrance to the farm, a sprite bottle and on a number of cigarettes butts found in the carrier bag.

Guest More was forensically linked to items found at Burnt House Farm.

Catching Guest More

Guest More was caught on CCTV two days later, fleeing to Spain from Liverpool.

He flew into Malaga where he rented an apartment.

He remained on the run until 2019, when he was arrested in Malta, where he had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle as a businessman under an assumed name with a false passport.

Detective Inspector Tomlinson said: "Over those 16 years we have assessed, reassessed, probed every possible, tactical overt and covert option trying to locate where he was living, and I'm thrilled we've been able to bring him to justice."

Guest More fled to Malaga in Spain where he went on the run from police for 16 years.

Guest More is the fourth member of the gang to be convicted of his murder.

Accomplices John Wilson, James Raven and Otis Matthews have already been jailed.