London – A grieving teenager was allowed to live with his father’s killer after social services struggled to find him a home.
Colin Gale beat former bomb disposal expert Mark Manning to death with a wrench and dumped his body in undergrowth where it lay undiscovered for two years.
Meanwhile, he pretended to be his victim’s best friend – and was allowed to take in his 16-year-old son Kane.
On Thursday night, the teenager, now 19, said: "Social services didn’t really know where to send me and it was quite a relief to know he was going to look after me."
"But the whole time he was just lying and lying and lying. Only when they found my dad’s body did I realise."
"I just couldn’t get my head around it. I will never forgive him for what he did. He’s just a scumbag."
Father-of-two Mr Manning was killed with a 3ft-long (about 90 centimetres) wrench at his West Sussex garage after a dispute over a £150 000 debt owed by Gale.
Gale then enlisted the help of his friend Stewart Robertson to dispose of the body in dense undergrowth before telling police he had given Mr Manning, 54, a lift to Worthing train station that day.
Believing his father had disappeared, Kane, 16 at the time, stayed with his sister before moving in with Gale. The killer carried on pretending to be one of his father’s best friends.
Even when Gale, 40, was arrested for the murder, Kane could not believe he was responsible until his father’s body was found near Crawley, West Sussex.
Kane, of Brighton, said: "He was one of my dad’s best friends and not only did he do that to my dad, he lied and lied and betrayed me. I never would have thought he could do something like this. He had kids of his own."
His father, of Lancing, West Sussex, saved lives around the world clearing land mines, working with the Mines Advisory Group charity which had been backed by Princess Diana.
Working as a car dealer at the time, he was owed money by Gale for the sale of two vehicles. After a row over the cash, Gale picked up the industrial wrench before striking Mr Manning over the head in April 2014.
Police found Mr Manning’s body after Gale’s wife told them he had confessed the killing to her. Robertson, who was also arrested, told them where they had dumped it.
Gale was jailed for 15 years and eight months for manslaughter and preventing lawful burial, while Robertson was sentenced to four years for preventing lawful burial.
Talking about his bomb disposal expert father, Kane said: "My dad was a hero. He was passionate about his job. He worked with Princess Diana and I have a picture of him shaking hands with Margaret Thatcher. "
"I always thought he was going to turn up. I used to rely on my dad a lot for support, my dad and I had a really good relationship, but Colin ruined my life."
"He basically brainwashed me. I really believed he had dropped dad off at Worthing station. But I learned my lesson and I will never trust anyone again."
A West Sussex County Council said: ‘We can confirm that we did not arrange for Kane to live with Colin Gale.
"At the point when he was referred to us, arrangements were made for him to be cared for by a family member."