Killer jailed for eight-and-a-half years after attacking man with bat for 'chatting up' his partner

Daniel Griffiths, aged 43, repeatedly beat Andrew Guy, believing he was chatting up his partner. Griffiths, who carried out the attack at his home in Stafford Street, Audlem, near Market Drayton, was found guilty of manslaughter last week, and sentenced on Wednesday at Chester Crown Court.

The trial heard that Mr Guy, aged 54, returned to his mother's home after the attack, and was in significant pain throughout the night. His mother found his body the next morning.

Mr Guy had travelled to his mother’s home by train from Bournemouth where he had been living for about four months.

The following afternoon he drove to Market Drayton and Whitchurch to meet friends.

While in Whitchurch he received a text message and a phone call from Griffiths' partner, from a mobile phone allegedly used by both Griffiths and his partner.

Mr Guy went to the pair’s house at about 7pm to take them drugs and shortly afterwards a neighbour heard raised voices involving an argument between Mr Guy and the couple.

Griffiths dragged Mr Guy outside and hit him with a baseball bat in the stomach and leg, leaving him with dented marks on his body.

After the assault. Mr Guy drove back to the village of Buerton and changed clothes before picking up a takeaway in Market Drayton that he had promised to bring home to his mother.

While waiting for the takeaway he sent text messages to Griffiths and his partner’s phone saying he was in ‘10 out of 10’ pain in his stomach and bleeding as a result of the injuries inflicted upon him.

When he returned home the pain from the assault intensified and he confided in his mother that Griffiths had ‘set about me’ with a baseball bat.

The following morning at around 10.15am on Sunday, October 17, Mr Guy was found in the bathroom.