A man has been jailed for a minimum of five years after a fatal stabbing in Basildon last year.
Lee Byatt, 33, from Mildmayes, Basildon, who had earlier pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 46-year-old Colin Ricketts in April last year, has today been sentenced to serve a minimum of five years of a life sentence for public protection. He will be on license for the rest of his life.
It was the early hours of Sunday, 26 April 2009 when police were called to Mildmayes and found Colin Ricketts with a number of stab wounds that sadly proved fatal.
Byatt admitted voluntary manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at a court hearing in May, 2010 and was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court today.
Senior Investigating Officer Tracy Hawkings said: “Essex Police is satisfied with the sentence and hopes that Lee Byatt receives the appropriate level of psychiatric support from the prison authorities.
“We hope that the family and friends of Colin Ricketts will find some closure and be able to come to terms with the tragedy that has deeply affected their lives