Man who murdered friend jailed for 17 years

A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison following the murder of his friend.

Michael Beach, of Ruspidge Road in Cinderford, stabbed Scott Hopkins, 36, at a flat on the High Street of the Forest of Dean town, on 8 December last year.

Jurors at Gloucester Crown Court took just four hours and 18 minutes on Friday to find Beach guilty of murder.

He was jailed earlier for 17 years, minus the 182 days he has already spent on remand.

In a statement following the sentencing, Mr Hopkins' family said they wanted everyone to know the 6ft 1" father and husband "had a heart as big as him".

"He will be eternally missed, forever loved and consistently remembered," they said.

"Nothing will ever bring Scott back, but this result goes some small way to bringing peace to us all."

During the trial Beach claimed he stabbed Mr Hopkins by accident after they had been out drinking with another friend, Phillip Parry, at the Upper Bilson Inn in Cinderford.

The group - who often socialised together - had been at the pub for five hours, leaving at about 20:00 after Beach drank "five or six cans of lager".

The men were at Mr Parry's flat when Mr Hopkins followed Beach into the kitchen.

Beach claimed he had picked up a kitchen knife to chop up some cannabis, but when he turned around, Mr Hopkins "walked straight into the knife".

“I didn’t know Mr Hopkins was behind me," he said.

"I think he was going to cuddle me, but we ended up face to face.

“I didn’t want a hug so I pushed him away, so I could pass."

Beach said he then saw blood on the floor and the knife, adding that Mr Hopkins let out a "loud gasp".

Paramedics arrived at the flat to find Mr Hopkins with a large knife wound that had "nicked his heart and lung".

They stopped CPR at 23:00 and Mr Hopkins was declared dead eight minutes later.

Beach denied murder, but admitted manslaughter, maintaining Mr Hopkins' death was "a freak accident".

Mr Hopkins' family thanked those who had supported them as the investigation was carried out.

They added that families "on both sides of this case have young children who now have to move on with their lives that have changed forever".

During the sentencing the judge told Beach that he had "cruelly robbed" Mr Hopkins' family of him.

"The highly distressing nature of this case is accentuated by the fact that we simply do not know why you did what you did," he said.

"It may be you do not know either, what we do know is that there was absolutely no need for it.

"[Hopkins] was a joker and is described as the life and soul, he brought so much happiness and joy to family life.

"His death has caused emotional and financial devastation for the family."

The judge added that, by murdering Mr Hopkins, Beach bears "the heaviest burden of responsibility for stealing a lovely husband and father from his family".

"People will ask, rightly, 'How could you do this to your friend?'," he said.

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