Wales: Teenager jailed for killing man after meeting victim on a gay website
A teenager who murdered a man after meeting the victim through a gay website has been jailed for a minimum of 28 years.
Bleddyn King, 19, was told that he may never be released from prison for the pre-meditated killing of David Evans, in Pentyrch, near Cardiff, in January of this year.
King planned to rob Mr Evans and stabbed him so ferociously that his knife blade bent, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
The BBC reports that during the trial, it was revealed that King also killed Mr Evans’s cat before setting his home on fire.
At sentencing on Tuesday, Mr Justice MacDuff described King as “evil and dangerous”.
He said: “David Evans was in the sanctuary of his own home when you committed a wicked attack on him”.
Mr Justice MacDuff added: “You targeted this kind mild man because he was not a match for you. He lived alone and would be easy pickings.
“You punched, cut and stabbed him to death. It was a vicious, brutal attack – the fear and pain he must have felt in his dying minutes is unimaginable”.
The court was told that King made a chilling video of the murder scene.
However, it was deemed too graphic to be shown to the jury.
Mr Evans’s injuries were so severe that his face was left unrecognisable.
The 64-year-old was said to have become a “lost soul” since the death of his wife in 2008.
After the case Mr Evans’s son Richard said: “My father met his murderer over the internet, which I hope will serve as a warning to others who meet strangers in this way.”
Det Chief Insp Ceri Hughes of South Wales Police said: “David Evans was highly respected in the community and deeply loved by all his family.
“The brutal murder of such a gentle and trusting man tragically highlights the dangers of meeting strangers over the internet.
“David’s family have shown tremendous dignity and, while they remain devastated by what has happened, I hope the verdict and today’s sentencing helps them in some way to move forward.”
