Great Yarmouth: Three People Sentenced To Life

5 October 2012, 14:33 | Updated: 5 October 2012, 14:36

Three people have been sentenced to life after admitting killing a 44 year old man from Great Yarmouth.

Three people who subjected a vulnerable Norfolk man to "sadistic'' levels of torture similar to the horror series Resident Evil have each been jailed for life for his murder. 

Derek Blake, 44, was found dead in a bath full of water in a flat in his hometown of Great Yarmouth on May 24. 

One of his killers later compared the alcohol-fuelled attack to Resident Evil, a graphic series of video games which has inspired five horror films. The attack included pouring boiling water over Mr Blake, inflicting cuts and burns all over his body and torturing him with a pool cue. The letter J had been carved into the side of his face. 

Ricky Roys, 20, Andrew Brown, 42, and Helen Cooke, 19, all of St Nicholas Road, Great Yarmouth, pleaded guilty to the murder. 

Judge Peter Jacobs sentenced all three to life imprisonment.

Brown must serve a minimum of 23 years, Roys 20 and Cooke 18 before they will be considered for release. 

Mr Jacobs said: "This was a murder involving sadistic conduct. This went far beyond a punishment beating and the infliction of this many injuries confirms you intended to kill him."

`You had been overtaken by the gravity of your own actions. It is obvious Brown took the lead but this must be balanced against the obvious sustained involvement of each person.''