Two Men Convicted of ‘Horrendous’ Murder

A 68-year-old man was murdered in a Yeovil flat, an act described as “truly horrendous,” and two men have been convicted of the crime. Franklin Ingram, also known as Frank, was killed in June by his neighbor Martin Carty and Mark Sothcott, both aged 56. The incident occurred at Carty’s residence in Raglan Terrace. During an altercation, Mr. Ingram was assaulted by the two individuals, who headbutted him and struck him with a hammer, resulting in severe injuries. Over 18 hours elapsed before either man contacted emergency services. When Carty eventually dialed 999, he made a false statement, asserting he had discovered Frank deceased on his sofa. Following a three-week trial at Bristol Crown Court, the jury unanimously delivered guilty verdicts for murder against both men. The court was informed that on June 22, Mr. Ingram and Carty had an interaction after Carty had placed rubbish near Mr. Ingram’s flat. A CCTV recording presented during the trial showed Mr. Ingram referring to Carty as an “idiot” and stating his intention to contact the relevant housing association regarding the incident. Nevertheless, the prosecution asserted that shortly before 23:00 BST, an ‘angry’ Mr. Ingram proceeded to Carty’s flat, where Carty and Sothcott were present, carrying a hammer. An argument ensued between Mr. Ingram and Carty, escalating into a physical confrontation involving all three men. Testimony in court detailed that the victim was headbutted and hit with a camera, suffering injuries across his face, head, torso, arms, and legs. Carty did not contact the ambulance until approximately 18:40 BST the following day, reporting that he had discovered Mr. Ingram deceased. Carty stated that his neighbor had come to his flat the previous night in an agitated condition, and he had permitted him to sleep on his sofa. The emergency call handler instructed Carty to place Mr. Ingram in the recovery position, but he declined. Upon the arrival of paramedics, they observed multiple wounds inconsistent with Carty’s account. Carty was arrested on the same day. Sothcott, whose address is Stiby Road, was apprehended the subsequent day after law enforcement received public information regarding remarks he had made while departing Raglan Terrace on the night Mr. Ingram died. Investigators located audio recordings from CCTV cameras, which enabled them to determine that Mr. Ingram had died during the altercation. Both individuals are scheduled for sentencing at the same court next year; however, a specific date has not yet been determined. Det Ch Inps Mark Almond, the senior investigating officer, stated: “The medical evidence clearly demonstrated that a serious and sustained violent attack was carried out against Frank Ingram. The severity of the injuries caused shows the true intent of their actions.” He further commented: “They both knew they had at least seriously injured him, and most likely killed him, and the fact neither of them called the emergency services for more than 18 hours is truly horrendous.” Det Ch Inps Almond also expressed his hope that Mr. Ingram’s family might “take comfort in the truth being put before the courts,” while acknowledging that the verdict would not “erase the pain” of their loss.