Man found guilty of Blackpool hotelier's murder

A man who stabbed a hotelier in a "frenzied attack" before stealing from him has been convicted of murder.

Jurors found 51-year-old Blackpool man Adam Saunders guilty of murdering Kevin Price, who was supposedly his friend, at his hotel on Springfield Road in November 2024.

A post-mortem examination revealed 59-year-old Mr Price, who lived alone, had suffered 56 stab wounds.

Saunders, of no fixed address, will return to Preston Crown Court later for sentencing.

Mr Price was last seen alive on 7 November, returning to the Garfield Hotel.

Lancashire Police said Saunders later entered Mr Price's home and brutally attacked him.

Police said a friend of Mr Price's reported him missing on 10 November after not having heard from him for a few days.

Officers found the hotelier's body in his property with extensive injuries.

The subsequent post-mortem examination found Mr Price had been stabbed 56 times and had significant injuries to his neck, chest and back, along with other stab injuries across his body.

Police said that in the days after the murder, Saunders entered Mr Price's home, stole items and fraudulently used his bank card.

Det Ch Insp Simon Pritchard said his thoughts remained with Mr Price's loved ones.

"They have had to listen to evidence explaining Kevin's final days, and how he was killed by someone he thought to be a friend, for the sake of stealing his bank card and property.

"Saunders killed Kevin in a brutal and frenzied attack. His injuries were so severe that they would have been rapidly fatal."

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