After he had jailed Paul Groves this morning for the brutal murder of self styled Essex gangster Billy Boy Martindale Mr Justice Sweeney relaxed an earlier court reporting order enabling it to be revealed that two of Mr Martindale's children endured the horror of the murder scene.
As he jailed Groves the judge said : "They saw the sight of their dead father lying across the table with blood and brains oozing out from the injuries."
He said that Groves had known the children were at the small holding in Ongar where the killing took place and that after and that it as after Groves and an un-named associate had left they saw their dead and battered father.
The judge indicated that he had taken this factor into account in ruling that Groves must serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars before he can apply for parole.
He said as he passed sentence that the "starting point" for the number of years Groves should serve was 15 years. But that taking all the factors involved into account he was imposing 23 years.
He said the two youngsters had been watching television in a caravan on the smallholding until they heard the sounds of conflict.
The judge told Groves, who had previous convictions for violence : "You lifted the pick-axe handle above your head and with severe force struck the defenceless and unconscious Mr Martindale twice on the top right side of his head causing multiple depressions and other skull fractures and brain damage from which he died."
He said that both children were outside the caravan as Groves and the other man left, and continued : "They saw the sight of their dead father lying across the table with blood and brains oozing out from the injuries that you had caused. Whatever Mr Martindale's faults they don't begin to justify what you had done to him."
Groves had claimed that he battered Mr Martindale to death with a pick-axe handle in self defence because he thought Mr Martindale was going to shoot him.
However, the judge said that there had been a dispute over a drug crop which had come to a head that evening and continued : "You decided to go to the farm in order to have it out with him, using violence, albeit you were unarmed.
"You knew from the content of one of the text messages that Mr Martindale had his two children with him.
"Although you are a strong and powerful man, confident in your physical prowess without the need for a weapon, you were concerned less Mr Martindale had any adults with him. You therefore took a muscled associate with you whose role was to assist you if required.
"You have never revealed that man's true identity though you plainly know it.
"After a few words had been exchanged between you and Mr Martindale, without warning or any justification you then attacked him, punching him four or five times in quick succession in the face and knocking him unconscious.
The judge said Groves had then attacked Paul Meeking, a friend of Mr Martindale's who had been armed with the pick-axe handle, and after wresting the handle off him had beaten him with it. He was given a ten year sentence for causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Meeking.
Then he went back to Mr Martindale, said the judge, and attacked him with the pick-axe handle.
The judge said he accepted that Groves ' intention was to cause grievous bodily harm rather than to kill and that there was a degree of goading over the phone beforehand but added : "That doesn't begin to excuse your decision to go to the farm and to use violence."
"I don't accept however that there was a lack of premeditation. I don't accept that there was any provocation or goading at the scene at all. Nor do I accept that there was any degree of acting in self-defence.
"In my view the aggravating features here substantially outweigh the mitigating features."
On the application of prosecutor Simon Spence QC , the judge agreed to commend DC Daren Sibley, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, to the Chief Constable.
DC Sibley took over as the officer in the case at a late stage and he had been "of particular assistance" said Mr Spence.
