Seven years for Morecambe man A MORECAMBE man who battered his friend to death with a rolling pin during a drinking binge has been jailed for seven years. Russel Hartley smashed the left side of Ronnie Carradus's skull to pieces with an old-fashioned wooden rolling pin after he made sexual advances towards his girlfriend. David Turner QC, prosecuting told Preston Crown Court: "They were blows delivered to a defenceless man."

Hartley, 33, of Green Street, Morecambe denied murdering Mr Carradus but admitted to manslaughter.

The plea was accepted by the prosecution on the basis Hartley was so drunk he could not have formed the necessary intent to murder. Mr Turner said the attack occurred on February 17 this year and the 47-year-old victim died the next morning.

He and Hartley were both members of the 'alcoholic sub-culture of Morecambe' and they were drinking together at Hartley's flat on the day of the attack also there, was Hartley's girlfriend, Diana Fraser-Smith and Carradus made advances towards her and tried to sexually molest her.

She complained to Hartley who warned Carradus but he later made a second advance.

Mr Turner told the court: "A second complaint was made and Hartley selected an old-fashioned rolling pin and struck the deceased a number of times to the head."

"The pathologist who examined the body found that his skull on the left side was shattered in several places."

Hartley left the flat and approached friends at a nearby garage, telling them: "I've done him in. He was tampering with my bird and he deserved it."

Hartley confessed when he was arrested claiming: "I don't know what came into my mind. At the time I was a different person like a robot."

Malcolm Swift, QC, defending, said the deceased man had previously had a relationship with Miss Fraser-Smith 15 years before.

"On this occasion the deceased thought he could simply treat her like he used to and touched her in a sexual manner because of their previous relationship." Mr Swift told the court.

"On the second occasion Hartley lost his temper completely, picked up the rolling pin and hit the deceased a number of times in what can only be described as a rage.

"It was a momentary attack of rage and in his life it is a rare occurrence indeed."

Mr Swift added Hartley had been abusing alcohol for many years and had been drinking a minimum of four litres of strong cider a day.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Steel told Hartley: "What took place was rightly described by your counsel as a momentary attack of rage. That loss of control led to to the loss of an innocent life. It was cruel and pointless."

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