Savage killers who dumped their victim in a box to die after attacking him over £20 are facing life sentences after they were convicted of murder.
Blaine Hammond was dragged into a box or cabin while badly injured and locked inside, having been subjected to a brutal attack by Louis Whelan and Anthony Keating. The pair had denied murder but were found guilty by jurors at Newcastle Crown Court.
Blaine's death came to light following an anonymous call on Friday December 3 last year. The caller said he lived at Saltburn Road, Sunderland and when police went to the area they found a padlocked green box in a cut leading towards some allotments. Inside was the body of the 22-year-old, who had multiple severe head injuries.
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Jurors found both guilty of murder by a majority of 11-1. Mr Justice Morris told the killers: "You have been found guilty of murder and the sentence for murder is fixed by law and it's a life sentence.
"I will sentence you at a later date to be arranged. At that hearing I will set the minimum term you must serve before you can be considered for release on licence."
During the trial, prosecutor Peter Glenser KC said: "The prosecution say the two men in the dock, between them, took part in a savage assault on Blaine Hammond, punching him, kicking him, stamping on him, intending to cause him really serious injury in the living room of Louis Whelan's home at Saltburn Road.
"After they had beaten him, they ejected him through the front door. One of them knocked Blaine Hammond to the ground but by that point they both knew that Blaine was seriously injured."
The court heard Keating left on the moped he had arrived there on two hours earlier with Blaine while Whelan went back inside, leaving Blaine lying on the ground.
In due course, the court heard, Whelan decided to try to get other people on Facebook to phone an ambulance. In one message, he wrote: "He took my £20 and f****** got it so I've smashed him all over, he's on death's door like. He's still breathing, will you phone an ambulance".
He sent another message saying: "He just tried to nick £20 off me so I just brayed him all over and he is f****** dying like, need an ambulance." Shortly afterwards, he wrote: "F****** tried to nick 20 bar of us so I smashed him all over. Head, kicks, f****** elbows, the lot."
Mr Glenser said there was an exchange online between Whelan and Keating, adding: "Two minutes later Whelan left his address and dragged Blaine Hammond across the road into that cut towards the green cabin where Whelan placed Blaine and where Blaine was to meet his premature death.
"Within eight minutes Whelan was back home. He did not ensure an ambulance was called until 9.30 the following morning, by which time Blaine Hammond had been dead for some hours." Mr Glenser said Blaine was still alive as he was dragged to the green box.
The court heard Blaine died from head injuries. Mr Glenser said: "To put it more simply he died because a person or persons stamped and kicked on his head and neck. That damaged his brain."
When Whelan was arrested he initially said Blaine had fallen down some steps at his home then started blaming Keating. Whelan claimed he had only punched Blaine once in self-defence. Mr Glenser said: "The Crown say this was not self-defence, this was a gratuitous beating for no real reason at all.
"Whelan showed an utterly callous disregard for his welfare. He cared more about keeping a distance between himself and Blaine than he did about ensuring help came."
When Keating was arrested he said he kicked Blaine once after the other two fell out over the £20 but said he caused no injury, although it caused Blaine to fall to the ground. He then said Whelan had caused the injuries.
Whelan, 23, of Watling Street, Towcester and Keating, 23, of Palmerston Road, Sunderland, will be sentenced next month on a date to be fixed and were further remanded in custody.
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