Man found guilty of murdering ex-partner’s boyfriend

A man who became ‘obsessed’ with a woman he met online has been found guilty of the murder of her boyfriend. 

Michael Bretton, aged 41, of Armoury Yard, Shaftesbury, was unanimously found guilty by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 31 July to murdering lorry driver Craig Hurcombe. 

He received a life sentence and will serve a minimum prison sentence of 29-and-a-half years, minus the time he served on remand ahead of his trial.

The murder happened at Craig’s place of work in Roemead Road, in Gurney Slade, on the evening of New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January). 

Bretton engaged in various methods to seek to follow and monitor Craig and Kate Saunders and undermine their relationship in December last year. 

Various incidents marked an ‘ongoing escalation in Bretton’s behaviour’ which culminated in him tracking Craig from a property in North Somerset to the yard in Gurney Slade at around 6.20pm on 1 January. 

The court was told how Bretton used a Samurai-style sword to inflict a single fatal stab wound, killing 39-year-old Craig.  

Bretton then tried to conceal his crime by attempting to burn Craig’s clothes, and bury his body in a shallow grave in a small, wooded area on the site. 

Watch the full video on our YouTube channel to learn more about the investigation.

‘Obsessive’ stalking

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During the seven-month police investigation, led by the Major Crime Investigation team, detectives learned of Craig’s previous relationship with Kate between 2017 and 2023.   

The jury was told how, in 2025, Bretton met Kate on an internet dating site and, after a brief, casual relationship, she brought her contact with him to a close at a time when he wanted their relationship to progress to a more formal ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ status.  

Following the break-up, Bretton stalked Craig and Kate, including watching her come and go from her home and loitering at Craig’s workplace.  

Bretton bought two GPS trackers online which he fitted to cars used by Kate and Craig to monitor the couple’s movements.

On one occasion, he used the trackers and followed the couple to a pub in Somerset, where they had arrived minutes before. This resulted in a brief altercation between Bretton and Mr Hurcombe, to which the police were called.  

He also visited the address of Kate’s previous partner and suggested she was in danger from Craig, and similar visits were also made to her brother. 

Digital investigation

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Bretton’s stalking took a more sinister turn on New Year’s Eve (Wednesday 31 December), when Craig returned to the yard after working away to find the tyres on his Audi had been punctured by Bretton. 

Vehicle data placed Bretton nearby in Pound Lane at the time Craig arrived at the yard on 1 January.  

Alongside this data, detectives captured the last sighting of Craig on CCTV after he arrived back at the yard. The same cameras then picked up Bretton at the site slightly later, after he had killed Craig.  

Bretton went on to remove the tracking device from Craig’s car, before driving the Audi out of the yard and setting fire to it in the nearby Galley Batch Lane.  

In Bretton’s final attempt to conceal his crimes, he drove to an area near the River Stour, carrying the tracking device he had taken from Craig’s Audi. 

Following an in-depth data investigation, officers visited the area where Bretton had stopped and police divers also entered the water, discovering a rusty sword which we believe was likely used to murder Craig. 

Missing person

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After leaving the scene, Bretton used Mr Hurcombe’s phone and responded to messages pretending to be him, giving the false impression that he was alive and well for several days.  

Nicola Hurcombe, Craig’s mum, reported his disappearance to Wiltshire Police on Saturday 10 January and a missing person investigation was launched. Colleagues at Wiltshire Police conducted extensive enquiries and, within a two-day period, had evidence placing Craig’s last known whereabouts at the yard. 

The case was then transferred to Avon and Somerset Police where further enquiries were carried out to locate Craig.  

Just two days later, on Wednesday 14 January, after several days of excavation work, Craig’s body was recovered.  

During the trial, Bretton’s defence told the jury that Craig had slipped whilst getting into his lorry and fallen onto a metal shaft. He told the court he followed Craig to his place of work to confront him and he buried his body after his accidental death. However, the jury saw through Bretton’s story and found him guilty of murder. 

Following his death, Craig’s mum, Nicola, and dad, Paul, issued a tribute to him on behalf of the family, saying: “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.” 

Following today’s verdict, they added Craig is hugely missed by his whole family, including his siblings Ashley, Laura, Jess, and niece Skye, as well as the large group of friends he would regularly spend time with. 

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.  

“Bretton is one of the most dangerous individuals I have ever dealt with. His behaviour, including the stalking of Kate and the extraordinary lengths he went to in order to control and influence both Craig and Kate’s lives, was deeply disturbing. 

“The level of planning and premeditation behind Craig’s murder was horrific. Throughout the investigation, Bretton appeared almost arrogant in the extensive measures he took to cover his tracks and evade responsibility.  

“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.  

“They have had to endure hearing and witnessing the details of Craig’s final moments, while also navigating the immense grief of losing someone they loved so dearly. I hope today’s outcome allows them to begin moving forward, knowing the person responsible has been held accountable.”