Wrexham pub murderer Francesco Prevete jailed for 23 years

Craig Maddocks's family said he was loved and adored by family and friends

A man who murdered an amateur boxer, stabbing him 52 times in a Wrexham pub toilet, has been jailed for 23 years.

Francisco John Prevete, 46, had denied killing Craig Maddocks, 34, from Llay, in the Cambrian Vaults in June 2013.

The jury at Mold Crown Court took three-and-a-half hours to convict Prevete, of Wrexham, after a 10-day trial. He was sentenced to life and cannot apply for parole for 23 years.

Judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker described the attack as "brutal and ferocious".

Mr Maddocks, a former partner of Prevete's niece, died of shock and haemorrhaging from wounds to the neck and chest inflicted by a flick knife.

Prevete had claimed he found Mr Maddocks with a knife in his back in a toilet cubicle and had tried to help him.

Prevete's defence solicitor said the attack was completely out of character

The court heard Mr Maddocks owed Prevete's father £300 for cocaine, and Prevete decided to punish him.

The Cambrian Vaults had its licence revoked following the attack.

Karl Scholz, prosecuting, told the jury it was rare to find so many life threatening wounds inflicted on a person.

Suzanne Goddard QC, defending, said the offence was completely out of character and inexplicable.

She had earlier asked the jury to consider medical evidence from an expert witness who suggested Prevete had acted under an epileptic seizure.

In a statement read outside Mold Crown Court after sentencing, Mr Maddocks's family said: "Our lives had been totally unbearable over the last 12 months due to the murder of our son.

"Craig loved life and loved to make people smile. He was loved and adored by all his family and friends.

"We as a family will never get over the dreadful circumstances of how Craig died and our lives will never be the same again."

Det Insp Mark Hughes, of North Wales Police, said Prevete had shown no remorse for his actions, which left Mr Maddocks with horrific injuries ultimately resulting in his death.

"He is without doubt a dangerous individual and will rightly spend the next 23 years behind bars," he added.