A man who killed his friend after finding him having sex with his ex-girlfriend in a playground has been convicted of murder.

Kyle Morley had been drinking with his friend David Bettison and two other men in the pubs around Hugglescote.

Around midnight, Morley’s ex-girlfriend, Katie Lamb, showed up in the village. Two hours later, Morley, 29, of St Bernards Road, Whitwick, near Coalville, saw Mr Bettison and Miss Lamb together in a playground on Ashburton Road.

Morley ran at them and hit 23-year-old Miss Lamb hard in the face, knocking her out. He later admitted to causing serious injury by assault.

He then attacked his 43-year-old friend, who made no attempts to fight back at the time. Morley repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on Mr Bettison, causing facial injuries so severe the police who later arrived were unable to even try to save his life with normal treatment. 

Mr Bettison died at the scene because he could not breathe from the injuries. Morley was arrested and gave Leicestershire Police a statement where he said he attacked Mr Bettison but did not mean to hurt him badly.

He also said in his statement that he was ‘very drunk’ and had been using class A drugs.

The jury in the case started to decide on Friday and came back with their guilty verdict this morning, finding Morley guilty of killing Mr Bettison in the early hours of Friday, February 24.

Morley cried loudly and put his head in his hands when the jury foreman said he was guilty.

Judge Timothy Spencer KC told Morley he would sentence him this afternoon. Murder leads to a life sentence but Judge Spencer will have to decide how long Morley stays in prison before he can ask the Parole Board to let him out.