Man jailed for Maurice Bennett murder in Ormesby

David Thompson-Love admitted murdering his "only friend" Maurice Bennett

A man who brutally murdered and tried to cut up his "only friend" has been jailed for at least 18 years.

David Thompson-Love, 37, used knives, a can of food, a kettle and potato peeler to kill Maurice Bennett at a block of flats in Ormesby, Middlesbrough.

Mr Bennett, 54, who was disabled, had been tied up and suffered more than 60 injuries in the 7 April attack, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Thompson-Love was jailed for life, with a minimum term, after admitting murder.

The court heard Mr Bennett, known as Moza, lived across the hall from Thompson-Love in the block of flats on Oakrise.

Maurice Bennett's family described him as a gentle giant

The pair were good friends, with Thompson-Love regularly invited to spend Christmas with Mr Bennett's family, prosecutor Nick Dry said.

Mr Bennett had had a foot amputated and used his mobility car to take Thompson-Love shopping.

The men would spend their days drinking together, Mr Dry said.

On 7 April, Mr Bennett's family were concerned after they had failed to make contact with him, so they called at Thompson-Love's flat, at about 18:40 BST, to ask about his whereabouts, the court heard.

They saw Mr Bennett's body through an open window in the flat. Mr Bennett's nephew climbed through the window and found Mr Bennett dead, and Thompson-Love holding a knife.

Hacksaw and bin bags

The killer said Mr Bennett had been dead for hours, adding: "I've done wrong, haven't I?"

As other neighbours arrived and restrained Thompson-Love, he attempted to urinate on them and then on the police, Mr Dry said.

He told officers he had acted in self-defence, but admitted murder when the case went to court.

Mr Dry said Mr Bennett had suffered multiple injuries, including 48 stab wounds to his head, face and neck, and a completely severed jugular vein.

He said the victim had been tied up for at least part of the attack.

At about 09:00 GMT that morning, Thompson-Love used Mr Bennett's car to drive to shops where he had purchased a hacksaw, bin bags, cleaning products and beer "suggesting he was seeking to hide what he had done, and dispose of the body", Mr Dry told the court.

'Gentle giant'

Police found the hacksaw with the blade inserted the wrong way round. Thompson-Love had made a "failed attempt" to try and cut off his victim's foot, the court heard.

After killing his friend, Thompson-Love went to Mr Bennett's flat to get clean, Mr Dry said.

In statements read to the court, two of Mr Bennett's sisters said they could not understand why Thompson-Love had so brutally attacked his "defenceless" friend, who had "always looked out" for him.

They said Mr Bennett was "kind, funny and loved" and "brought so much happiness to our lives".

His sisters said he was a "gentle giant" who would "do anything for anybody", while Thompson-Love was described as "vile", "evil" and a "low-life coward".

'Utterly inexplicable'

In mitigation for Thompson-Love, Peter Makepeace KC said Mr Bennett was the killer's "only friend" and Thompson-Love could not understand his own actions.

He said Thompson-Love, who had previous convictions for violence, could not remember the incident, which a psychiatrist testified was "not uncommon" in cases involving drink and "such traumatic" events.

The lawyer said the accused had a mental illness, including suicidal thoughts, but that did "not in any way reduce his culpability".

His Honour Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, said Thompson-Love was "almost one of the family", and the killing of his friend was "utterly inexplicable, horrific and astonishing".

He said the "ferocious attack" was "not merely a lashing out in the course of a heated drunken argument" - but was "persistent, determined and deliberate".

The judge said not knowing why Mr Bennett died would play a part in his family's grief, and the loss of such "a good man, who died for no good reason" would have a "profound and lasting effect" on them.

Thompson-Love was jailed for life and must serve 18 years four months before being eligible for consideration for parole.