A former Abergavenny man has been jailed for life for his part in a the brutal murder of a family man in Bristol.

Russell Oakey, 42 of Hanham High Street, and 38-year-old Michael Dommett, of Oakhanger Drive in Lawrence Weston, were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court for murdering Bristol dad Andrew Groves, who was beaten to death at Dommet’s home September 29 last year. After the attack the house was deliberately set on fire in an attempt to conceal evidence.

The jury unanimously found Oakey guilty of murdering 47-year-old Mr Groves at Dommett’s house, as well as doing an act intended to pervert the course of justice. The jury deliberated for just under two hours.

The judge accepted there was not an intent to kill, but Mr Groves sustained beating and a fire was started. Neither men gave evidence and the court was told that only they knew the circumstances surrounding the murder although the court heard that the intention had been to cause serious harm rather than to kill.

Defending Oakey David Jeremy QC, said his client was a father-of-one who had nothing in his record to indicate a propensity to violence.

He said the trigger for what happened was something said by Mr Groves that night and conceded the attempt to set fire to the house with Mr Groves’ body in it was a significant aggravating feature.

His Honour Judge Peter Johnson jailed Oakey for life with a minimum term of 18 years.