A dad-of-three who brutally killed, burnt and buried his friend for insulting his mum was today sentenced to ten and a half years in prison.
Kane Burns used a 2ft long sword, an axe and a machete to slaughter Mohamed Megherbi following a violent argument at his Cardiff flat.
The 26-year-old then set fire to his body and buried him in a shallow grave.
After denying murder, Kane pleaded guilty to manslaughter on May 9 by accepting he "went too far in self defence".
Janine Davies of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Kane Burns killed Mohamed Mergherbi before making great efforts to cover up what he did.
“As a result, [we] had to carefully piece evidence together from various sources to show what had actually happened.
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“Once the trial had started, Burns accepted he was responsible and changed his plea.
“Mohamed Megherbi’s life was cut short in tragic circumstances and our thoughts are with his family and friends regarding their loss.”
On the night of the killing, neighbours described hearing “loud banging” and arguing between two men at Burns’ flat in Cardiff.
One neighbour, Laura Welsh, says she heard a loud bang followed by the sound of something being dragged across the floor.
After the commotion in the flat, Burns was seen buying lighter fluid, matches, bleach and paper towels at a nearby petrol station.
Burns admitted what he had done to a friend: "I stabbed him up because he was saying stuff about my mother. The c*** is dead.”
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Prosecutor Michael Jones said: “Mohammed Megherbi received catastrophic and fatal head injuries.
“Kane Burns then made every conceivable effort to conceal that murder.
“Burns took great efforts to dispose and bury the body in a shallow grave in a woodland.”
When police raided his flat in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff for an unrelated matter, they spotted blood staining on the furniture and blinds.
Samples of blood positively matched with that of Mr Megherbi.
Mr Jones said: “Remains of the body of Mr Megherbi were discovered in a shallow grave in the undergrowth near a subway.
“Forensic anthropologists concluded that fractures to the skull were consistent with a sharp impact with an object such as a machete, axe or cleaver.
“Police recovered an axe and a machete from Burns’ flat and a sword was found near the burial site with Mr Megherbi’s blood on the tip.”
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The court heard Mr Megherbi was last seen on October 9 and his body was found on November 30.
The victim was originally from Algeria leading officers to track down his mother in the country to give her the news.
The court heard Burns initially indicated he would not plead guilty to manslaughter before changing his mind on the second day of the trial.
The judge said a 5% sentence discount was appropriate for the timing of his guilty plea.
Speaking in defence of Burns, David Elias QC said there was "another side" to his client.
He said the defendant was a relatively young man who has three children and was supported in court by his mother.
Justice Clive Lewis said he did not find Burns to be a dangerous offender before jailing him for 10 and a half years.
He will serve up to half in prison before being released on licence.
