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John Pordage death: Bradley Blundell jailed for life

Essex Police Bradley BlundellEssex Police
Bradley Blundell has been sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum of 22 years

A "monster" who shot a man at a petrol station over comments about a woman's "nice bum" has been jailed for life.

Bradley Blundell, 19, must serve a minimum of 22 years for the murder of 34-year-old John Pordage in Chelmsford, Essex, on 5 August 2017.

Following the shooting, Blundell fled the country but handed himself in to police in Amsterdam in March 2018.

Mr Pordage's mother Sue Wilson said "monster" Blundell changed her life "in 30 seconds" with the "callous" killing.

Sentencing him at Chelmsford Crown Court, judge Charles Gratwicke said the killing had been "ruthless and brutal".

Family handout John PordageFamily handout
Electrician John Pordage was shot dead at a petrol station in Chelmsford

The row, at the BP garage in Baddow Road, started after either Mr Pordage or his friend said Ella Colgate - the driver of the car Blundell was in - had a "nice bum".

Another witness said one of them had called Blundell, of Cromwell Close, Boreham, "the Milkybar Kid".

Colgate, 19, of Aldridge Close, Chelmsford, was also jailed for 12 months for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Sue Wilson
Mr Pordage's mother, Sue Wilson, addressed members of the media outside the court

After the sentencing Mrs Wilson said she was "pleased" with the sentence but believed Blundell's behaviour during the sentencing, which included smiling as his sentence was handed down, as "diabolical".

She said: "He won't be speaking to someone, he won't be seeing someone for 22 years, and that means he will be older than the life of my son that he took which is important to me."

In mitigation, Michael Bromley-Martin told the court Blundell had had a difficult upbringing and that the murder was not premeditated.

He said the shooting over a "slight" showed Blundell's lack of maturity.

Essex Police John PordageEssex Police
On the night of the murder, Mr Pordage was seen on CCTV walking past the car which Blundell was in

Blundell was also sentenced to a total of six years, which will run alongside his murder sentence, for perverting the course of justice, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, possessing with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, possessing two knives and absconding.

Saul Stanley, 19, was previously jailed for five years for various offences in connection to the murder, while a third youth who was with Blundell at the time of the attack received a 12-month community order after a separate trial.