Pub car park machete murder man to be sentenced

A former car dealer will be sentenced today for murdering a teenager with a 2ft-long machete.

Zac Evans died almost instantly when he was confronted by Ewen Reynolds, 45, wielding the weapon in a pub car park in Gloucester.

The 19-year-old painter and decorator suffered severe neck injuries during the brutal attack on January 24 last year.

A dispute between Reynolds' wife and the girlfriend of Mr Evans's friend Keaton Jones, 23, led to the murder.

Reynolds fetched the weapon from his van, which was parked at the Pike and Musket pub in the Tuffley area of the city.

Grainy CCTV footage showed Reynolds attacking Mr Evans and Mr Jones - with both suffering blows to their necks in just 87 seconds.

The cameras captured Reynolds calmly strolling away, getting into his van and driving off. He was arrested the following day.

Mr Evans died in the car park shortly after the attack.

A post-mortem examination later found he had suffered a large incised chop wound to the left hand side of his neck, which severed arteries and veins.

Police seized Reynolds' van and clothing and found blood from both victims. The machete has never been recovered.

Reynolds denied murdering Mr Evans and attempted to murder Mr Jones, but was convicted by a jury following a 10-day trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The father-of-three, of Foley Close, Tuffley, Gloucester, will be sentenced by Mr Justice Warby at Bristol Crown Court.