Man jailed over Blackpool hotelier's 'brutal' murder

A man who stabbed a hotelier in a "frenzied attack" before stealing from him has been jailed.

Jurors found 51-year-old Blackpool man Adam Saunders guilty of murdering Kevin Price, who was supposedly his friend, at his hotel in the seaside town on Springfield Road on 7 November.

Saunders had messaged him earlier that day asking if he fancied some company before the 59-year-old's body was found with 56 stab wounds, Lancashire Police said.

Saunders, of no fixed address, was handed a life sentence and told he must serve at least 31 years in jail at Preston Crown Court.

Mr Price was last seen alive on the evening of 7 November, returning to the Garfield Hotel.

A police spokesman said Mr Price had responded to Saunders' offer of company by asking him return a bag he had stolen containing one of the hotelier's bank cards.

The court heard Saunders had gone to the hotel that night and brutally killed him.

Saunders left then returned to hotel and stole items including a television, and used Mr Price's bank card to buy mobile phones and withdraw cash, the police spokesman said,

Whilst doing this, Saunders even wore his victim's clothes.

Two days after murdering him, Saunders booked a stay at a local hotel, where he boasted about having access to money from a friend's credit card.

A friend of Mr Price's reported him missing on 10 November after not having heard from him for a few days.

Officers found the hotelier's body in his property with extensive injuries.

A post-mortem found Mr Price had been stabbed 56 times and had significant injuries to his neck, chest and back, along with other stab injuries across his body.

Saunders, who denied murder but admitted theft, was sentenced to one month in prison to run concurrently.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Price's sister, Diane, said: "Kevin was the most thoughtful, kind, warm and loving person anybody could wish to meet.

"I loved him so dearly and still do. I hold him in my heart, and I always will. He was always in my thoughts when he was alive as he is in death."

She said listening to Saunders at the trial she was "sickened hearing all his lies knowing full well what disgusting and inhumane things he did to our Kevin".

"I am truly devastated by what's happened, and I will always love my brother dearly. "He will never be forgotten by all those that loved him. RIP Kevin."

Det Ch Insp Simon Pritchard said after sentencing he hope Mr Price' family and friends could now get some form of closure after his "horrific and inhumane death".

He said Saunders abused their friendship and stole his belongings while Kevin "lay lifeless in the home".

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