A 23-year-old man has been jailed for life to serve a minimum of 32 years in prison for the brutal murder of his mother and her friend in an Essex village.

Following a two week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Brett Rogers was found guilty of two counts of murder today.

His mother Gillian Phillips, 54, and David Oakes, 60, were found dead at Mrs Phillips’ home in Bentfield Gardens, Stansted, following an anonymous call to police just before 11pm on July 22 last year.

Rogers, of no fixed address, had been staying with his mother, and was found by police in an alleyway near the Bentfield Gardens address and arrested.

Police enquiries later established that Rogers was the one who made the 999 call.

Mrs Phillips, of Bentfield Gardens, and Mr Oakes, of Mountfitchet Road, Stansted, both sadly died at the scene.

Mrs Phillips died of multiple stab wounds while Mr Oakes suffered a head injury, although also had sustained several stab wounds.

Following the murders a number of knives were recovered from the address and tests established the defendant used multiple kitchen knives to inflict the injuries on both victims.

DCI Morgan Cronin of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said following the sentencing: "Brett Rogers failed to admit his responsibility for abruptly ending the lives of his mother and her friend is such a brutal way.

"Mrs Phillips had welcomed her son back in to her home despite his violent past.

"She was murdered in her own home; the place where she should have been safest, and by someone who she should have been able to trust.

"Brett Rogers has still not given a reason behind the murders. He is a violent man who thankfully will have a long time behind bars to think about his actions and will not be able to hurt anyone else.

"I would like to thank the family of Gillian Phillips and the family of David Oakes for their support throughout this investigation and acknowledge that Gillian’s family have had to endure significant conflict throughout this case due to dealing with both the loss of a loved one, and the arrest and prosecution of the defendant.”

David Oakes' daughter, Louise Wyllie, said: "I've released a photo of my dad because I want people to know what he looked like. So that he's not just a name any more.

"This was a horrible crime against two innocent people whose lives were cut short by the action of Brett Rogers.

"I'm glad that justice has been served and that the jury made the correct decision based on all the information they had been given.

"This has been a difficult time for all those involved both with my own family and that of Gillian's too. Hopefully now it has come to a close we can all try and move on."