Franklin Ingram was killed by his neighbour Martin Carty and Mark Sothcott in a horrendous attack involving a hammer in June – the pair were found guilty in Bristol
A man was beaten to death with a hammer during a savage attack by two of his neighbours in a row over rubbish bins.
Franklin Ingram – who was better known as Frank – was killed by Martin Carty and Mark Sothcott, both 56 and from Yeovil, Somerset, at his flat in June. It took more than 18 hours for either of them to call the emergency services, and when Carty did phone 999 he falsely claimed to have found Frank deceased on his sofa.
After a three-week trial at Bristol Crown Court, the jury unanimously found both men guilty of murder. The jury were told that on the afternoon of 22 June, there had been an exchange of words after Carty had left rubbish near Mr Ingram’s flat.
A CCTV recording was played in which 68-year-old Mr Ingram later described Carty as an ‘idiot’ to another individual – stating he was going to contact the housing association responsible for the flats. The prosecution said shortly before 11pm however, an ‘angry’ Mr Ingram went up to Carty’s flat with a hammer.
Both Carty and Sothcott were inside the address. Jurors were told Mr Ingram and Carty became involved in a row before a fight between the three men ensued, in which the victim was headbutted and struck with the hammer.
A subsequent pathology report revealed Mr Ingram had sustained injuries to his face, head, torso, arms and legs. Carty called the ambulance service at about 6.40pm the following day to say he had found Mr Ingram deceased.
He claimed Mr Ingram had been to his flat the night before in an agitated state, and he had let him sleep on his couch. The call-handler, unaware of what had taken place, encouraged Carty to put Mr Ingram in the recovery position but he refused.
Paramedics attended and found Mr Ingram had sustained several wounds which did not appear to be consistent with what Carty had said, and he was subsequently arrested on June 23.
Sothcott, of Stiby Road, was arrested the next day following information from members of the public about comments he had made after leaving Raglan Terrace the night Mr Ingram was killed.
During the police investigation audio from CCTV cameras was sourced which enabled detectives to determine the pair knew Mr Ingram had died during the altercation. Carty and Sothcott, both 56, were remanded to be sentenced at the same court in the new year, at a date to be finalised.
Senior Investigating Officer, DCI Mark Almond, said: “The medical evidence clearly demonstrated that a serious and sustained violent attack was carried out against Frank Ingram. The severity of the injuries caused shows the true intent of their actions.
“They both knew they had at least seriously injured him, and most likely killed him, and the fact neither of them called the emergency services for more than 18 hours is truly horrendous. Frank Ingram’s family has received support from specially-trained officers ever since the tragic events of 22 June and our thoughts remain with them.
“While we welcome these verdicts and hope the family take comfort in the truth being put before the courts, we recognise this cannot erase the pain they continue to experience after such a devastating loss.”
