Brian Waters murder: Christopher Guest More jailed for life

The 43-year-old, from Lymm, was yesterday found guilty of murdering the dad-of-two in front of his own children during a brutal four-hour ordeal at Burnt House Farm in Tabley in 2003.

He returned to Chester Crown Court for sentence today, Friday, and received a life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years.

Sentencing, Justice Peter Openshaw said: "Brian Waters was a loyal and devoted husband and father, and his family will remember him as such.

"Because of drug deals that went wrong, Waters became indebted to John Wilson – a more ruthless criminal.

"He was determined to make an example of him."

"Wilson discovered that Waters was likely to be at the farm on June 19 2003 and directed an attack to take place on that day.

"He put together consisting of James Raven, Otis Matthews the defendant and others who have not yet been brought to justice.

"The attack was intended to deliver a clear message to others that if you crossed John Wilson there would be very serious consequences.”

The judge described how Mr Waters pleaded with his attackers to have his restraints eased as he could not breathe, adding: "It was too late to save him, and he died in front of his own children."

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More was convicted of murder by a majority jury of 10 to two following a month-long retrial.

The 44-year-old victim was killed in a disused cowshed the farm, near to junction 19 of the M6 for Knutsford, on June 19 2003.

Mr Waters – who was operating the site as a cannabis farm – was hung upside down by his ankles, beaten with weapons and burned with melting plastic in front of his own children over a £20,000 drug debt before succumbing to his more than 100 separate injuries.

More, who was aged 25 at the time of the incident, was part of a gang who travelled to the site in the early hours and ransacked the grow before torturing Suleman Razak – who assisted in the operation of the cannabis farm – when he arrived at the scene at around midday.

He was punched and kicked in the face numerous times and knocked unconscious before being hung upside down by his ankles and lowered into a barrel which was filled up with water.

After being electrocuted, Mr Razak was burned with acid, had a pillowcase placed over his head and set on fire and was attacked with a staple gun.

It was then that Mr Waters arrived at the scene and was similarly set upon.

He too was lowered into the barrel of water and beaten with bamboo canes with such ferocity that they snapped, as well as being struck with a metal bar.

A bin bag was also suspended above his head and set alight, causing melting plastic to drip down onto his head.

His son Gavin and daughter Natalie, who had celebrated her 21st birthday the previous day, then arrived and were attacked – with the latter having the barrel of a gun placed in her mouth.

At the same time, the Waters’ family home in Nantwich was raided by two men who then transported the victim’s wife Julie to the farm.

But the assailants fled when the police arrived simultaneously, with officers discovering Brian Waters’ lifeless body in a milking parlour.

A Home Office post-mortem investigation recorded a cause of death of multiple injuries – including fractured ribs, a broken nose and breastbone, a bleed on the brain and bruising to the heart.

Evidence of strangulation was also found, while he had suffered burns to his back from a ‘caustic substance’ and had been attacked using the staple gun across his head and body.

Several items discovered at the scene – including a bottle of Sprite, cigarette ends, a glove and human waste – revealed forensic links to More.

He returned his then home at Burford Lane Farm alongside co-conspirator Otis Matthews in the evening after the killing and flew to Malaga from Liverpool John Lennon Airport two days later.

More remained at large for nearly two decades before his capture in Malta two years ago, having been added to Europe’s most wanted list.

The former undercover TV researcher was living under the pseudonym of Andrew Christopher Lamb, a successful businessman and luxury yacht captain.

He was also found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Razak.

READ MORE: ‘We never gave up hope’ – Family statement as dad’s killer convicted 18 years on

A jury in a trial held earlier this year failed to reach a verdict.

Matthews, gang boss John Wilson and More’s cousin James Raven were previously convicted of Mr Waters’ murder following trials in 2004 and 2007 and were jailed for life.

More to follow.