Man jailed for stabbing drunken stranger in the heart

A 31-year-old Colwyn Bay man was this afternoon ordered to serve a minimum sentence of 21 years behind bars after being found guilty of murder when a drunken stranger David Kingsbury, 35, was knifed in the heart at Old Colwyn.

Imposing a life sentence, trial judge Mr Justice Griffith-Williams told Dean Cody, of no fixed address, at Caernarfon Crown Court, "You carried that knife because you are a committed criminal and an associate of criminals, and happy to throw your weight around in the Colwyn Bay area. Your criminal record is as bad as they come for someone of your age.

"You are on any view disposed to behave violently."

The judge said Mr Kingsbury had been very drunk and abusive to Cody. Most people would have treated his insults "as the ramblings of a drunken man."

David James Kingsbury, aged 35, was a labourer living in the village.

His body was found in the Bryn Heulog area in January after police were called to reports of a disturbance at a property.

In a statement at the time his family described him as: "A very loving, affectionate son, brother and uncle with a good heart. We all loved him to bits and will miss his happy, easy going nature, his infectious smile and sense of humour."

Police launch murder investigation after man stabbed to death