A Purleigh teenager who kicked a Dorset man to death has been jailed for life for murder.

Construction worker Richard Hawkes, 19, of Spar Lane, was convicted of murdering chef Keith Weller, 58, at his home in King Street, Bridport.

Hawkes showed no emotion as the jury returned their verdict on Friday.

Hawkes claimed that he had punched and kicked Mr Weller after he grabbed him and made sexual suggestions to him because he was scared he might be raped.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Roger Toulson told Hawkes: "The tragedy for Mr Weller and yourself is that you reacted in quite an unreasonable way.

"I accept that you have real remorse. I have read your letter and that will be reflected in the remarks I make to the Home Secretary."

Mr Christopher Wilson-Smith QC, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court that Mr Weller had "literally been kicked to death."

He said Mr Weller had died of massive internal bleeding. He had also suffered a broken nose and jaw, fractured skull, broken arm and fractured ribs.

He said that Hawkes had met Mr Weller for the first time in the Lord Nelson public house in Bridport on the night of his death.

Hawkes, who had been working on a building site in the area had got talking to the older man, who had invited him back to his home nearby for some whisky.

Mr Wilson-Smith told the jury: "We are disposed to accept that the defendant's violent reaction did result from some sexual advance by Mr Weller.

"But we don't accept that Hawkes' reaction was justified.

"The horrific violence he used went quite beyond anything that was necessary to allow him to overpower the deceased and escape."

Hawkes, who denied murder, told the court he had drunk six pints of lager and before he had been invited by Mr Weller to his home for some whisky.

After drinking a large whisky Hawkes said he got up to go but Mr Weller put his arm round him and made sexual advances.

Hawkes told the court: ''I pushed Mr Weller away and struck him a couple of times to the face and he fell over."

Hawkes said Mr Weller got up and tried to grab him -- still making sexual comments -- and they struggled and fell to the floor.

"I turned round and saw Mr Weller was getting up off the floor so I kicked him in the stomach twice.

"I thought he might hurt me or try to rape me, I was scared."

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