British accounts clerk Richard Markham was tonight starting a life sentence after being convicted of the murder of his friend whose body he chopped up and scattered across a housing estate.
Markham (28) of St Nicholas Court, South Ham, Basingstoke, Hants, was found guilty of the murder of father-of-two Tristian Lovelock (25) on May 31st last year.
The jury of seven women and five men at Winchester Crown Court took just over three hours to convict Markham, who showed no emotion as the verdict was read out.
Mr Lovelock's family and friends rose to their feet and cried "Yes!" as the guilty verdict was announced, and they applauded again as the judge passed a mandatory life sentence.
The judge, Mr Justice Michael Morland, told Markham that he would recommend to the Home Secretary that life should mean life.
"The killing of Tristian Lovelock was carried out in circumstances of the utmost barbarity," he said.
"I am entirely satisfied that you, Richard Markham, are a very dangerous individual."
Markham's barrister Michael Bowes QC told the judge that Markham was likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act and transferred to hospital from prison.
PA