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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Three convicted of petrol murder | Three convicted of petrol murder |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Three people who tied up a student, doused him in petrol and set him on fire have been convicted of his murder. | Three people who tied up a student, doused him in petrol and set him on fire have been convicted of his murder. |
| Simon Everitt's body was found near his home town of Great Yarmouth three weeks after he vanished in June 2008. | |
| Jimi-Lee Stewart, 25, Maria Chandler, 40, both of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and Jonathan Clarke, 20, from Telford in Shropshire had pleaded not guilty. | Jimi-Lee Stewart, 25, Maria Chandler, 40, both of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and Jonathan Clarke, 20, from Telford in Shropshire had pleaded not guilty. |
| The trial at Norwich Crown Court heard the victim had been beaten and had petrol poured down his throat. | The trial at Norwich Crown Court heard the victim had been beaten and had petrol poured down his throat. |
| Sentencing will take place on 26 June. | Sentencing will take place on 26 June. |
| The verdicts were returned after the judge said he would accept a majority verdict. | |
| Clarke, of Elizabeth Way, Telford, was 19 at the time he murdered the student. | Clarke, of Elizabeth Way, Telford, was 19 at the time he murdered the student. |
| Simon did nothing wrong apart from love the wrong girl Everitt family statement | Simon did nothing wrong apart from love the wrong girl Everitt family statement |
| His sister Christina told jurors he said he had tricked Mr Everitt into going with him to the scene of the attack. | His sister Christina told jurors he said he had tricked Mr Everitt into going with him to the scene of the attack. |
| During the trial jurors were played a scene from the British horror film Severance in which a character was shown tied to a tree. | During the trial jurors were played a scene from the British horror film Severance in which a character was shown tied to a tree. |
| In the movie a man is shown throwing petrol over and setting light to his victim. | In the movie a man is shown throwing petrol over and setting light to his victim. |
| Prosecutors claimed the student, who was originally from Newcastle, suffered a fate inspired by that scene. | |
| The motive for the killing was said to be the victim's relationship with 19-year-old Fiona Statham. | The motive for the killing was said to be the victim's relationship with 19-year-old Fiona Statham. |
| 'Assaulted and kidnapped' | |
| Both Clarke and Stewart, of Nelson Road in Great Yarmouth, had been involved with Ms Statham. | Both Clarke and Stewart, of Nelson Road in Great Yarmouth, had been involved with Ms Statham. |
| Meanwhile Chandler, of Lancaster Road, was accused of being involved because she disliked the way Mr Everitt treated his girlfriend. | Meanwhile Chandler, of Lancaster Road, was accused of being involved because she disliked the way Mr Everitt treated his girlfriend. |
| Simon Everitt's body was found three weeks after he went missing | |
| The three defendants assaulted and kidnapped the engineering student, driving him to woodland in Mautby, Norfolk. | |
| He was then "interrogated" by Stewart who believed his victim had slept with Ms Statham. | |
| Stewart said he poured petrol all over the 17-year-old including down his throat, but told the court he was "shocked" when Clarke lit a match and set fire to their captive. | |
| Hours later, he said, the three returned to Mautby where the body was buried in a ditch. | |
| Ms Statham had reported the murder victim missing and his body was found on 28 June, 2008. | |
| It took investigators a week to identify the remains. | |
| Simon's father Vince was too ill to attend court, but his step-mother Susan Everitt was there to hear the verdicts. | Simon's father Vince was too ill to attend court, but his step-mother Susan Everitt was there to hear the verdicts. |
| A family statement said: "Simon did nothing wrong apart from love the wrong girl." | A family statement said: "Simon did nothing wrong apart from love the wrong girl." |
| Norfolk Police said they were pleased with the verdict. | Norfolk Police said they were pleased with the verdict. |