Page last updated at 21:57 GMT, Wednesday, 3 December 2008

Trio are jailed over flat killing

Stephen John Rumsam
Stephen Rumsam suffered serious head injuries

Three men who admitted killing a man at his Blackpool flat have been jailed for between seven and 14 years at Preston Crown Court.

Stephen Rumsam, 28, was found dead at his home in Norbreck Road on 31 May.

Edmund Forbes, 39, of Noblett Court, Fleetwood, was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 14 years after admitting a charge of murder.

Simon Smith, 27, and Martyn Wright, 25, were jailed for seven years each after admitting manslaughter.

Smith, of Wyre Street, and Wright, of Homestead Way, both Fleetwood pleaded guilty to manslaughter at a hearing last month.

The victim, originally from the Fylde area, had lived at the property for six months when he suffered serious head injuries in the attack.

(From left to right) Edmund Forbes, Simon Smith and Martyn Wright
The trio admitted the charges against them

The trio were arrested by police three days after Mr Rumsam's body was found.

Det Insp Phil Burke said: "This was a vicious and seemingly unprovoked attack on somebody who had invited the men into his home for a drink."

Iris Gillot, Mr Rumsam's mother said: "My family and I were devastated at Stephen's needless death.

"It was a sustained, horrific and brutal attack and we cannot come to terms with that.

"He did not deserve it and neither did we. It is us who have the real life sentence; living with this every day and missing Stephen for the rest of out lives."



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