Michael Bretton, 41, of Armoury Yard, Shaftesbury, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 and a half years for the murder of lorry driver Craig Hurcombe. The sentence, handed down at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, July 31, includes a deduction for time spent on remand.
The court heard that Bretton used various methods to locate and surveil Craig and Kate Saunders in December 2025, seeking to undermine their relationship. His behaviour escalated, leading him to track Craig from a property in North Somerset to a yard in Gurney Slade at approximately 6.20pm on January 1.
Stalking and GPS tracking
At the yard, Bretton attacked Craig, 39, with a samurai sword, delivering a single fatal stab wound to his torso. He then attempted to burn Craig's clothes and buried his body in a shallow grave in a small wooded area on the site.
Investigators later established that Craig and Kate had been in a relationship from 2017 to 2023. In 2025, Bretton met Kate on a dating site and, after a brief and casual liaison, she cut off all contact with him. Bretton, however, wanted the relationship to progress to a more formal "boyfriend and girlfriend" status.
Following the breakdown, Bretton began stalking both Kate and Craig, surveilling Kate's home and lurking around Craig's place of work. He bought two GPS trackers online and secretly attached them to vehicles used by both Kate and Craig.
Murder and cover-up
On New Year's Eve, Bretton's stalking became more sinister when Craig found the tyres on his Audi punctured at his yard. Vehicle data placed Bretton on Pound Lane at the time Craig arrived at the yard on January 1. CCTV captured Craig's last known movements after he arrived, and the same cameras showed Bretton at the location shortly afterwards following the murder.
Bretton removed the tracking device from Craig's car, drove the Audi out of the yard and torched it in nearby Galley Batch Lane. He then drove to an area close to the River Stour carrying the tracking device. Police divers searching the water uncovered a rusty sword believed to be the murder weapon.
After the murder, Bretton used Craig's phone to respond to messages, impersonating him and maintaining the pretence that he was alive for several days. On Saturday, January 10, Craig's mother, Nicola Hurcombe, reported him missing to Wiltshire Police. Evidence gathered within two days indicated Craig's last-known whereabouts were at the yard. Avon and Somerset Police took over the investigation, and Craig's body was found on Wednesday, January 14.
Defence rejected and family tribute
Pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery determined that Craig died from a single lengthy stab injury that penetrated through his torso. Bretton's defence claimed Craig had "slipped" while getting into his lorry and fell onto "a metal shaft", and that Bretton had pursued Craig to confront him but concealed the body after an accidental death. The jury rejected the account and convicted him of murder.
In a tribute, Craig's parents, Nicola and Paul, said: "Craig was the perfect son and an independent man, and we are living with unimaginable loss and a huge hole in our lives which we will never come to terms with. Craig was very hardworking, ambitious, and very well thought of in his circle of work, especially his boss, who has expressed his gratitude for all Craig did for the company."
They added that Craig is hugely missed by his whole family, including siblings Ashley, Laura, Jess, and niece Skye, as well as his large group of friends.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Neil Meade said: "From the outset of this investigation, our sole aim was to secure justice for Craig and his family. Craig was a much-loved son, brother and uncle, and his family are now having to come to terms with a future no longer filled with his smile, his kindness and his love." He described Bretton as one of the most dangerous individuals he had ever dealt with, citing the disturbing stalking and the horrific level of planning behind the murder. "His claim that Craig simply 'fell' onto a metal shaft is utterly implausible, and I am grateful the jury saw through his lies and delivered a verdict that hopefully brings some measure of justice and closure to Craig's family and friends."
