A DRUG dealer has been convicted of manslaughter after attacking Yate addict Jason Betts for owing him money.

Nathan Skeen, 29, has today been convicted of the manslaughter of 38-year-old Jason who died from a head injury inflicted as a punishment for owing money for drugs.

Skeen, of Ermine Road, London was found guilty of manslaughter and wounding with intent following a five-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

At an earlier hearing, Nixon Apire, 31, of Great North Road, New Barnet, Barnet, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.

Both previously admitted charges of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (cocaine and heroin).

They will be sentenced at a date to be fixed.

Jason was found at his flat in Celestine Road on Thursday, March 5 last year by a friend in an unresponsive state. He was taken to hospital but his life support machine was switched off in the early hours of the following day.

A post-mortem examination concluded he had suffered a head injury which had caused a bleed to the brain.

During the course of the police investigation, witnesses reported Apire and Skeen were responsible for assaulting Jason well over a week before his death, during which he was stabbed in the leg, had cigarettes stubbed out on his face and hit over the head with a bottle and a glass.

Skeen’s conviction for manslaughter relates to a subsequent assault he carried out on Jason which led to his death.

Both men were linked to the investigation through witness accounts, forensic work, as well as other evidence, including mobile phone analysis and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data.

Senior Investigating Officer Det Supt Andy Bevan said: “Jason was a vulnerable man who had significant health and drug addiction issues.

“Skeen and Apire callously took advantage of Jason’s vulnerability and coerced him into selling class A drugs, including crack cocaine and heroin, on their behalf on a low-level basis in the Yate area.

“They had a suffocating control over Jason and when they felt he owed them money, they exacted their revenge by assaulting him.

“In the assault carried out by Skeen, Jason suffered the injury which led to his death."

He said the case highlighted the how 'vile' the dealing of drugs is.

“The supply of drugs is a vile trade and this case acutely demonstrates how dangerous this criminal industry really is," he said.

“Dealers from larger cities often try and find vulnerable people to sell drugs on their behalf in smaller towns and, as in this case, they treat them in a fashion which can only be described as inhumane.

“Jason’s death has had a devastating effect on his mother, family and close friends and I’d like to thank all the support they’ve given to me and my team during the course of our investigation. I’d particularly like to thank those witnesses who came forward and bravely gave evidence in court, ensuring justice was done for Jason and his family.

“I’m satisfied with these convictions and believe two dangerous men have been taken off the streets.”

Yate neighbourhood Inspector Clive Summerill said the supply of Class A drugs into Yate had been reduced following Jason's death.

“Following the tragic death of Jason Betts we launched an extensive crackdown on class A drug dealers coming into Yate from other parts of the country," he said.

“We carried out a sustained period of activity including increased proactive patrols, more measures to improve our intelligence gathering about dealers coming into the area and through working with our partner agencies, providing greater support to vulnerable people at risk of being targeted by these dealers.

“We were able to make some significant progress, including the arrest, charge and conviction of a man caught bringing crack cocaine into Yate by car and the arrest of several people at a property in the town, on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

“As a direct result of our policing activity, drug-related crime levels have fallen, including the number of aggravated burglaries and the number of properties being used as a base for the supply of class A drugs.

“In a recent survey, the level of concern about drug-dealing and related crime has also fallen in the local community.

“But we’ll never be complacent and want local people to continue being our eyes and ears.

“If you have suspicions about drug-supply or drug-dealing going on in the Yate area, please call us on 101. We’ll always listen and take positive action to tackle the problem head-on.

“My final message is to the dealers themselves - you need to get used to the fact the town is a hostile place for this kind of criminal activity and we’ll go after anyone who tries to sell drugs in our communities.”