A WIDNES dad convicted of the manslaughter of his wife’s lover has been jailed for seven years at Liverpool Crown Court today.

Steven Cotterill had denied the murder of 35-year-old Matthew Charnock after striking him over the head with a metal wheel brace when he discovered him fleeing from his home on Brinton Close.

The 39-year-old Fiddlers Ferry supervisor told the jury during a three week trial at Chester Crown Court last month that he was heartbroken after discovering Mr Charnock had been having an affair with his 32-year-old wife Natasha for six months.

On March 13, he came home early from a 12-hour shift at around 10.40pm for some milk and said he thought the man he saw running from his kitchen was a burglar, the court heard.

A jury found him guilty of manslaughter on October 3 but rejected that he had acted in self defence.

Sentencing him Judge Alan Conrad said he believed Cotterill suspected Mr Charnock was with his wife that night and recognised him from a photograph he had seen on Facebook “On leaving work you suspected Mr Charnock may be at your home,” he said.

“You struck two blows with significant force. Blows you struck in anger at seeing Mr Charnock.

“Your acts carried with them a high risk of really serious injury.”

Matthew’s dad read two emotional victim impact statements from himself and his wife describing how his son’s ‘mindless’ death had left his family devastated.

“We are bereft of feeling, numb and hollow living in a stomach churning nightmare,” he told the court.

“My wife has lost her soul mate, her confidant.

“Matthew was the glue that held so many people together.

“He was more than just a son, they shared every emotion together. He doted on her and it would break his heart to see mum crying. She was his rock.

“Matthew died with such dignity surrounded by his loved ones having suffered beyond comprehension as a result of a mindless assault.”

Mr Andrew Thomas, defending, said: “This was not a deliberate, pre-meditated attack.

“After 39 years of a blameless life, the way he reacted and behaved was not more than one minute. This is one minute out of 39 years.”

He said Cotterill was of previous good character, had ‘behaved impeccably’ throughout his life and was full of remorse.

In a letter to the Judge, Cotterill said: “I’m still absolutely devastated that Matthew Charnock has lost his life as a result of the confrontation at my property.

“I had no idea who it was until after the incident.

“I am sorry that his family has lost a son. As a father myself I couldn’t imagine the pain they feel every day.”