Man is jailed for stabbing murder

Keith Orchard will serve a minimum of 16-and-a-half years

A man who stabbed to death the brother of his former girlfriend has been jailed for life at Luton Crown Court.

Keith Orchard, 29, from Walgrave Drive, Bradwell, Milton Keynes, had denied murdering Kevin Joyce, 27.

The two men had argued over the phone after Orchard had sent his sister abusive text messages when their relationship ended, the court heard.

Orchard stabbed Mr Joyce at his work in Milton Keynes. He was jailed for a minimum of 16-and-a-half years.

The court heard Katy Gunn had asked her brother, who lived in Monkston, Milton Keynes, to call Orchard and persuade him to leave her alone.

But after rowing on the telephone last September, the next day Orchard stabbed Mr Joyce at the Kipling Motorists' Centre in Denbigh, jurors were told.

Had he not taken the knife the murder would not have taken place Judge John Bevan QC

The court heard Orchard had been an obsessive boyfriend and that Katy had received abusive text messages from him after she ended their relationship.

She said Orchard was "obsessive, abusive and controlling" and regularly read the text messages on her phone and was angry when he read some from her brother about Orchard.

Kevin Joyce died from a stab wound to his heart

Jeremy Gold QC, defending, said that since Orchard had been held in custody he had settled down and been co-operative with prison authorities.

Judge John Bevan QC said: "The use of the knife is becoming all too common and frequent.

"Had he not taken the knife the murder would not have taken place."

He told him: "You are a weak, possessive and controlling man and the idea of Kevin Joyce being brought into your pathetic row with Katy Gunn was too much. Your temper lies at the heart of this offence."

Orchard's co-defendant and friend James O'Gorman, 41, of Polruan Place, Fishermead, Milton Keynes, was cleared of murder, assisting an offender and affray.