Christopher Line has been sentenced to 35 years in jail after he was found guilty of the execution-style shooting of two men.

Christopher Line has been sentenced to 35 years in jail after he was found guilty of the execution-style shooting of two men.

The bodies of 20-year-old Shane Hill, who’d been shot six times, was found on a pathway at Willow Park, Beck Row, Mildenhall and the body of 29-year-old David Castell, who’d been shot up to four times, was found in a burning car at the site, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The two men had allegedly travelled to Willow Park on the evening of Tuesday, March 15 last year on a mission to set fire to caravans on a plot at the site said Karim Khalil QC, prosecuting.

The court was told during the hearing that there had been a long running dispute between 29-year-old Line, his friend and work colleague Sam Vinden and other people.

Line and Mr Vinden lived at plot three on Willow Park with members of Mr Vinden’s family and prior to March 15 they had received police warnings of potential threats to their lives, said Mr Khalil.

Several days before the killings, Line had telephoned the police to report he had disturbed several people who were trying to set light to a caravan on the plot he shared with Mr Vinden.

On March 15 Mr Castell and Mr Hill, both from Southend, travelled to Suffolk in Mr Castell’s red Toyota MR2, stopping at a service station to fill up two cans with petrol.

They had with them a hand drawn map of Willow Park which included details of the location of plot three. “It is plain that they had been sent on a mission to set fire to the caravans on plot three occupied by Vinden and Line,” said Mr Khalil.

He alleged that something of the plan must have become known to Mr Vinden who contacted the police on March 15 and said he had a “bad feeling” and was leaving the area.

Mr Khalil alleged that Line, who denied murdering Mr Castell and Mr Hill, had remained at the site to “man the fort” with a stash of firearms and ammunition.

The jury took less than 12 hours to reach their verdict after retiring yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.