Redditch News
Redditch man who beat flatmate to death given life sentence
3:30pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012
A REDDITCH man who brutally beat his 48-year-old flatmate to death at their Black Country flat has been jailed for life.
Judge John Warner told Earl Clarke he must stay behind bars for a minimum of 16 years for the savage killing of Bradley Hamilton.
Clarke punched, kicked and stamped on the grandfather of three at the flat in Rowley Street, Walsall, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
The judge told the 38 year old: “You had used violence to him before. I am satisfied you knew he was afraid of you. You dominated him.”
He told Clarke, who showed no reaction as he was convicted of the savage murder, "I believe he suffered a very painful death at your hands.”
Clarke of Batchley Road, Redditch, had denied murder but he was convicted on a unanimous verdict after the jury retired to consider the evidence for just under four hours at the end of his four week trial.
Sounaynah Morabir, Clarke's then girlfriend, of Wheelwright Road, Erdington, denied assisting an offender but she was also found guilty and jailed for two years.
Mr Timothy Raggatt QC prosecuting said Mr Hamilton suffered multiple fractures in the attack together with a number of other serious injuries.
"The injuries were severe and very extensive," he told the court. "Under that multiple blunt force trauma, a beating in other words, is what lead to his death."
He told the jury Clarke left the vulnerable grandfather "gravely injured" at the flat with Morabir for over an hour and they only called an ambulance on his return.
In his defence Clarke said Mr Hamilton was a chronic alcoholic and they had argued in the flat over his heavy drinking. He admitted he had punched out but only after being threatened with a pepper spray.
Clarke said he had left the flat to buy drugs and when he returned he discovered Mr Hamilton was not breathing. It was then he told Morabir to call an ambulance.
After the case Det Insp Andy Hawkins said the two defendants had shown no remorse or regret at all for the loss of Mr Hamilton - who had four childrfen and three grandchildren - and they had continually lied after their arrest.