FIVE men have been jailed for a total of 117 years for being involved in the killing of a man in a revenge attack after he stole drugs from one of them. 

Frazer Brabant was assaulted and found with serious head injuries in the back garden of a house in Gershwin Road on October 31, 2019.

The 31-year-old father-of-two was taken to hospital and died on January 21, 2020.

Following a lengthy trial, a jury at Winchester Crown Court, on June 6, found four men guilty of murdering Mr Brabant and another man guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.

On Friday, July 14, the five men were sentenced at the same court and were jailed.

Scott Neale, 35, from Spindle Close, Oakridge, has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 29 years for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, violent disorder and murder.

Lee Wood, 32, of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 29 years for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, violent disorder and murder charges.

Forhad Miah, 32, from Chestnuts Close, Oakley, has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 28 years for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, violent disorder and murder charges.

James O'Connor, 24, from Fairfield, Whitchurch, has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 25 years for murder.

Neale's brother Ricky Lewis, 40, of Candover Court, Basingstoke, has been sentenced to six years for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.

Neale, Wood and Miah were also sentenced to nine years for GBH and three years for violent disorder. But they can serve this concurrently with the murder sentence.

During the sentencing note, prosecutor Michael Burrows KC gave a recap of the incidents that led to the murder of Mr Brabant.

The court heard how officers were called at 10.51pm on 31 October 2019 to an address in Gershwin Road, Basingstoke.

Frazer Brabant was found lying in the front garden with serious head injuries. He was taken to hospital where he remained in a coma until 21 January 2020 when he died. He was 31 years old.

The court was told that a group of men had barged into an address in Gershwin Road and sprayed a substance in the face of the home owner. They chased Frazer Brabant out of the flat and attacked him in the front garden.

A post-mortem examination found that he had been struck multiple times to the head and face by a heavy, sharp-edged object described as a machete or sword type weapon. At least one of the blows caused catastrophic brain damage.

The investigation found that on 31 July 2019, Frazer Brabant robbed Scott Neale of cannabis.

Digital analysis revealed that in the three months between the robbery and the murder, the five men had been tracking Brabant to seek revenge.

On August 1 they attacked the home address of Brabant’s partner armed with weapons and caused damage to her house and cars.

On August 2 they attacked an address belonging to one of Brabant’s associates and smashed windows to the property.

Further attempts were made to find Brabant on October 25 and 28, 2019 before the group located him on Halloween on October 31 at the address in Gershwin Road where they carried out their fatal attack.

The prosecutor also read victim statements from Mr Brabant's aunt and mum, while a statement written by his dad was not read aloud.

In mitigation, the defence counsels produced letters from the friends and families of the offenders. They also produced character statements from the prison where they are kept for the past several months.

Sentencing, judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb commended the work of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary.

She said: "Drug dealers in Basingstoke did not help in catching the men. Great work had to be done by police to find them. I commend the work of Hampshire Constabulary.

"I have read statements from his father, mother and aunt. It was difficult for them to find enough words to describe him. Human life is frail and precious. It is all that we have.

"I have listened to the litigations of each offender. But it is never acceptable for the criminals to take the law into account."

After the sentencing, detective sergeant Dan Hunt from the Northern Investigation Team said: “This case highlights the misery, harm and devastation drugs and weapons cause to communities.

“Where there are drugs there is almost always violence and I hope this case sends a strong message to anyone involved in drugs or weapons. The consequences destroy many lives forever."