Colchester: Life For Musician Murderer

8 October 2013, 13:29 | Updated: 8 October 2013, 13:31

A teenager has been jailed for life for the murder of musician Thomas Brittain in Colchester.

The 26 year-old was stabbed in a flat on Parkside Quarter back in March when two men broke in brandishing a knife and a handgun. 

It was a friend's flat that Mr Brittain was in at the time and the other people who were there managed to get away and lock themselves in another room. 

They called the emergency services but he died at the scene. He had been stabbed in the chest. 

A murder investigation was then started and a manhunt launched for two men - 18 year-old Jack Hummerstone, of no fixed address, and 20 year-old Andre Vella, from Kirby Cross. 

Vella was arrested a few days later and Hummerstone was tracked down to an address in London where he was arrested in April. 

Hummerstone (pictured) was found guilty of murder - and GBH with intent - following a three week trial in September and has today been told he will spend at least 26 years in prison. 

Vella has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for aggravated burglary - a charge he was found guilty of following the trial. 

He was also sentenced to six years to run concurrently for possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit a criminal offence; a charged he admitted.