A MAN from Yate who admitted killing his friend and then leaving him for two weeks in the flat they shared has been jailed for 17 years and two months.

Dean Sawyer was found in his bath in November 2017 about a fortnight after he had been killed.

Jamie Lomax, 41, of Yate, was charged with murdering the 43-year-old.

He admitted manslaughter on May 14 and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court.

Dean Sawyer was well-known in Bristol, having established the company Positive Causes after struggling to find work himself.

His body was found in the bath at his flat on Sunday, November 26, 2017. He had major head injuries and the Major Crime Investigation Unit launched a homicide investigation.

Forensic examination showed that Mr Sawyer had probably been killed in his bath some two weeks earlier. His mobile phone data became crucial in establishing his last movements. Investigators found that it showed someone else was using the phone after his death.

Jamie Lomax had been living in the flat and working with Mr Sawyer. He was the last person to see him alive, was present when the body was found and had opportunity to access the phone.

Investigators discovered that Lomax had lied about his movements and sold some of Mr Sawyer’s property after his death. Lomax even left voicemail on Dean’s phone, after he had killed him, in an attempt to cover his tracks.

Senior Investigating Officer in the case, DI Mike Buck said: “Our investigation showed that Jamie Lomax had become frustrated and angry with Dean. The CPS and police both accept his plea to manslaughter on the basis that he had not intended to cause Dean serious harm.

"He has only now accepted responsibility for his actions in November last year – actions which led to the death of a man he had known for many years and considered a friend.”