A DRUG dealer who murdered an addict he held hostage in a flat has been told he will serve at least 16 years behind bars.
Lee Barnett, 37, killed drug addict Adam Welley, 30, with a single stab wound to the heart, in Westcliff Parade, Westcliff, on June 30, 2000.
Barnett appeared at the Royal Court of Justice, in London, with his accomplice Dean Lavery, 32, who faces a minimum of 15 years for his part in the murder.
The hearing was a "tariff" hearing, from which convicted murderers previously given life sentences learn the minimum number of years each must serve behind bars before they can apply for parole.
The pair had been convicted and sentenced to life at Chelmsford Crown Court in June 2001.
Published Friday, October 28, 2005.
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