Pair found guilty of murdering their Yeovil neighbour following a row over rubbish
Two men have been found guilty of murdering their neighbour in Yeovil following a row over rubbish.
Martin Carty and Mark Sothcott were found guilty of killing their neighbour Frank Ingram at Carty's flat in Raglan Terrace in June.
Bristol Crown Court previously heard how it had taken the men more than 18 hours for either of them to call the emergency services, and when Carty did phone 999 he falsely claimed to have discovered Mr Ingram dead on his sofa.
During a three-week trial, the jury were told that on the afternoon of 22 June, there had been an exchange of words after Carty had left rubbish near Mr Ingram’s flat.
A CCTV recording was played in which 68-year-old Mr Ingram later described Carty as an ‘idiot’ to another individual, stating he was going to contact the housing association responsible for the flats.
Shortly before 11pm, an ‘angry’ Mr Ingram went up to Carty’s flat with a hammer. Both Carty and Sothcott were inside the home.
A fight broke out between the three men and 68 year-old Mr Ingram was headbutted and struck by the hammer.
Carty called the ambulance service at about 6.40pm the following day to say he had found Mr Ingram deceased. He claimed Mr Ingram had been to his flat the night before in an agitated state, and he had let him sleep on his couch.
Emergency services attended and found that Mr Ingram's injuries were not consistent with Carty's story and he was subsequently arrested.
Sothcott was arrested the following day following information from members of the public who heard comments he had made leaving the flat on the night Mr Ingram was killed.
A jury unanimously found Carty and Sothcott, both 58, guilty of murder after a three-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Senior Investigating Officer, DCI Mark Almond, said: "The medical evidence clearly demonstrated that a serious and sustained violent attack was carried out against Frank Ingram. The severity of the injuries caused shows the true intent of their actions."They both knew they had at least seriously injured him, and most likely killed him, and the fact neither of them called the emergency services for more than 18 hours is truly horrendous."Frank Ingram’s family has received support from specially-trained officers ever since the tragic events of 22 June and our thoughts remain with them."While we welcome these verdicts and hope the family take comfort in the truth being put before the courts, we recognise this cannot erase the pain they continue to experience after such a devastating loss."