Fugitive jailed for at least 24 years after torturing and murdering father-of-two in Cheshire
An undercover TV researcher who murdered a cannabis dealer and went on the run for 16 years has been jailed for a minimum of 24 years.
Christopher Guest More was convicted of the murder of Brian Waters, 44, a father-of-two who was tortured in front of his family at a cannabis farm in Tabley, Cheshire, in June 2003.
The 43-year-old was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm toSuleman Razak, who worked at the cannabis farm.
The court heard the killing was carried out because of a £20,000 drugs debt owed to John Wilson.
More claimed he had befriended Wilson because he planned to sell a story on him being a police informant and thought he may lead him to a cannabis farm he could film for a Dispatches documentary.
Wilson has already been convicted of the murder of Brian Waters, along with two other men, Otis Matthews and James Raven.
Sentencing More on Friday, judge Sir Peter Openshaw described the case as one of "sadistic and gratuitous violence".
He said: "The attacks on both men were more than an attempted extortion with menace. The sustained barbarity and sadism of the attack was intended to deliver a clear message not just to Brian Waters, but also to others, that if you crossed John Wilson, and failed to pay what he considered was due, there would be very serious consequences."
Mr Waters was tortured for three hours before his death and suffered 123 external injuries during the ordeal.
He and Mr Razak were tied up in a cow shed and suspended from rafters, beaten, dropped in barrels of liquid, had staple guns used on their bodies and assaulted with a metal bar.
The attack happened front of his daughter, who had just turned 21, and son, then 25, while his wife was kidnapped from their home in Nantwich and driven to the farm.
The family of a Waters' say they 'never gave up hope' of finding the last of their loved ones' killers.
In a statement read to the court, Ms Waters said: "Every single day I have memories of what happened flash into my head.
"Whenever I think about my dad and try and remember happy childhood memories I always see the image of him sitting in the chair in the barn, suffering."
Gavin and Mrs Waters were in the public gallery of court for the sentencing.
More fled to Spain two days after the killing and became one of Europe's most wanted criminals.
He was finally arrested in Malta in 2019, where he had been living under the name Andrew Lamb and working as a yacht captain and businessman.
Sir Peter said: "I have no doubt that going on the run for 16 years, with warrants for his arrest in force, is a seriously aggravating factor, for during all that time the family of Brian Waters - and indeed Suleman Razak - were denied justice."