Art dealer used candlestick to kill friend

A SWISS art dealer has been jailed for more than 12 years for bludgeoning to death his British friend with a candlestick.

Bennet von Vertes, 32, was found guilty of killing Alex Morgan, 23, whom he met while both were studying at London’s Regent College, during a drug-infused evening at the dealer’s house in Switzerland.

He was also found guilty of raping a woman in London and sexual coercion.

The judges described the killing, which took place on December 30, 2014, in Küsnacht, as “an extremely brutal and cruel act”.

Vertes struck Mr Morgan, described in court as a “very good, longtime friend”, at least twice with a candlestick weighing more than 13lb and strangled him.

Delivering the verdict in Meilen District Court, the judge said: “The deed happened spontaneously but he wanted to kill his friend.”