A GUNMAN from Newport who assassinated a man to protect his position in the city's drugs underworld has failed to bring forward his potential prison release date.

Simon Mark Spring, formerly of Beatty Road, Newport, was jailed for a minimum of 18 years after being convicted in February 1997 of the murder of Tyrone France at a remote clearing in Wentwood Forest.

On May 10, 1996, he and two accomplices met with Mr France - on the pretext of setting up a drug deal - and drove with him to a remote forest clearing off the Newport to Chepstow road.

Once there, Spring killed Mr France by shooting him twice with a pistol, before proceeding to partially burn the body in an attempt to dispose of the remains.

Spring, 34, claimed the motive was to protect his family and asked for a review of his case at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

But yesterday, after reviewing the case, Mr Justice Jackson said Spring was lucky to get the minimum term he did.

Had he committed the offence now, he would have received far longer under today's, much tougher, sentencing guidelines.

He described France's killing as a "ruthless murder, committed by Spring in order to maintain his dominant position in the Newport drug world".

Commenting on new sentencing laws, the judge said: "In this case, the starting point for determining the minimum term...would be 30 years, because it was a brutal murder committed with a firearm.

"There are no mitigating features."

Spring will not be able to apply for his release until Summer 2014.

He can then apply to the Parole Board, but will only be released if experts are convinced he is safe to live in the community.

When, and if, he is released, he will remain on licence for life, subject to recall to prison if he puts a foot wrong.