Man found guilty of machete attack murder
A former car dealer has been found guilty of the murder of a teenager who was attacked with a machete after a minor argument outside a pub turned horribly violent.
Zac Evans died almost instantaneously when he was confronted by 45-year-old Ewen Reynolds wielding the 2ft long weapon in the car park of a pub in Gloucester in January this year.
The 19-year-old painter and decorator suffered severe neck injuries during the brutal attack outside the Pike and Musket pub in the Tuffley area of the city.
A dispute between Reynold's wife and the girlfriend of Mr Evans's friend Keaton Jones, 22, led to the murder.
Reynolds got the weapon from his van parked nearby and grainy CCTV footage showed him attacking Mr Evans and Mr Jones with the machete.
In just 87 seconds, the two friends both suffered blows to their necks - with Mr Evans dying in the car park a short time later.
The CCTV cameras captured Reynolds calmly strolling away, getting in his van and driving off. He was arrested the following day.
A post-mortem examination found Mr Evans, known to friends and family as Sparky, had suffered a large "incised chop wound" to the left hand side of his neck, which severed arteries and veins.
He also suffered a smaller cut to his cheek.
Police seized Reynolds's van and clothing and found blood of both victims. The machete has never been recovered.
Reynolds, of Foley Close, Tuffley, Gloucester, was convicted of murder and the attempted murder of Mr Jones by a jury following a 10-day trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Speaking after the case, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Porter of Gloucestershire Police said: "This was a horrific attack on two young men with devastating consequences including the tragic death of Zac Evans and many other lives changed forever.
"Our thoughts now are with Zac's family, friends and all those who loved him. Nothing can bring him back, but I hope today's verdict has given Zac's family some sense of justice at this difficult time.
"This shocking incident is a reminder of the fateful consequences of people carrying or using weapons.
"I hope if nothing else Zac's tragic death and the sentence of life imprisonment given to Ewen Reynolds can act as a deterrent to ensure such an incident never happens again."
Reynolds was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on January 8.
