The family of a murdered man who was battered to death have described him as a "beautiful personality with a gentle, loving soul".
Learoy Venner was killed aged 53 after being punched and kicked in a vicious assault by Kevin Spaine, who was found guilty of murder on Tuesday. The 43-year-old was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years yesterday.
During his sentencing, a statement from the victim's sister Lisa Venner on behalf of the family was read out to Liverpool Crown Court. In it, she said: "Learning of the tragic passing of our beloved brother Learoy has been difficult for us as a family to comprehend.
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"We can’t see at the moment how we will make it through. We can only hope and pray our heavy hearts will one day lighten us from this terrible ordeal.
"We can’t see how we will ever find peace again. Every day we think of our brother, thinking how and why.
"Learoy had a beautiful personality and such a loving, gentle soul. We loved Learoy so much, we will forever hold him close and dearly to our hearts, minds and soul for the rest of our lives.
“Our brother Learoy did not deserve to die in this way. He meant the world to his family.
“We as a family have endured such harrowing pain. We were very much aware of Learoy’s struggles, regardless, we as a family supported him as best as we could because we deeply loved him.
“The fact we never had a chance to say goodbye has had a devastating impact on us as a family. We hope and pray we will one day find healing and peace, however at this moment we cannot see this happening.
"Some of us have been too overwhelmed by the intensity of the process of the case and could not find the courage to attend the court hearing. Our lives are in ruins.
"However, we are full of gratitude for the prosecuting team and the family liaison team who have fully supported us along the agony and better positioned us to deal with the effects."
Merseyside Police also welcomed Spaine's conviction. Detective Chief Inspector Judith Blease said: “Spaine compounded the suffering of Learoy’s family by denying murder and altering his story to try and avoid responsibility.
"Now, through this trial, we know now that Spaine repeatedly struck Learoy, and then left the scene without alerting anyone to the devastating injuries he had inflicted. Spaine will now be serving a significant jail term, due to an extensive investigation which overcame every obstacle Spaine tried to place in the way of our detectives.
“We understand that no sentence passed can ever undo the pain that Learoy’s death caused to his family and friends. But hopefully today’s conviction of Spaine does at least provide some sense of justice being done and allows them to continue to try and come to terms with the devastating events of last July.”
A trial previously heard that Mr Venner had been living at the address temporarily at the time of the incident on July 27 2022, sleeping on a camp bed in the lounge. Alan Kent KC, prosecuting, described how the apartment was "being used as a drug den", with Spaine among its frequent visitors.
But the 43-year-old was refused entry by the victim shortly after midday on the day in question. He was eventually let in by returning tenant Mark Kelly, who then left again in order to top up the electricity meter.
It was at this point that Mr Venner was fatally assaulted, with Spaine leaving him lying unconscious and going to his mum's house to change his clothes afterwards. He was arrested on suspicion of murder on Edge Lane that evening, at which point he responded: "That's a big charge, what do you mean murder?"
Under interview with detectives, Spaine later stated that Mr Venner - from Toxteth - had "taken two swings at him" and he had returned four or five blows "in self-defence". A post-mortem investigation revealed that he had suffered "multiple forceful blows", causing a brain injury - "the sort of trauma usually associated with a car crash or a fall from height".
John Harrison KC, defending, meanwhile revealed that Spaine had previously starred in the iconic "Accrington Stanley, who are they?" advert as a child. He was only briefly sighted on camera during the famous 1989 TV ad for the Milk Marketing Board, walking through the shot before it focusses on his co-star, but is then heard delivering the famous line.
Mr Harrison told the court: "This defendant’s life has been ruined and dominated by the abuse of illegal drugs. He has a very long history of criminal offending.
"We know he’s been in this situation for 20 years or more, but he wasn’t always like that. Mr Spaine was a very promising young footballer, and he appeared in a very famous advertisement on the television - an advert for milk involving Accrington Stanley.
"He played a part in that advertisement. At an age of 10 or 12, or however old he was, he had a promising future.
“Shortly afterwards, he sinks into a life of criminality. Twenty years later, he is convicted of murder.
“It’s not an unfamiliar spiral to the court, but it is a tragic one. Of course, he respects the jury’s verdict.”
Spaine sat with his head bowed in the dock as he learned his sentence. He shook his head when the verdict was delivered on Tuesday afternoon after two hours and 39 minutes of deliberations by a jury.
Sentencing, Judge Brian Cummings KC said: "Only you will know the detail of what happened in the flat at that time. You have shown yourself to be a shocking liar.
"I am sure there was no element of self-defence in anything you did to Leroy Venner. What possible threat could he have presented to you?
"I am sure you struck him multiple heavy punches to the face and then finished your attack by kicking him, probably more than once and with force. What precisely caused you to want to do all of this will never be known to anyone other than yourself.
"You were very insistent of wanting to get into the flat. I am sure your interest in gaining entry to the flat was because you hoped to get either drugs or money - probably, you were disappointed in that hope.
"I do not find this was a murder for gain. However I am sure when you gained access to the flat, having been kept hanging around, those things led you to launch a ferocious attack upon him.
"He had no chance of escaping you or fighting you off. You attacked and killed a man whom you knew to be weak and in poor health.
"I accept that the eruption of violence occurred spontaneously, albeit you were in an agitated state having regard to the fact you’d been kept waiting outside. You left him unconscious on his back and breathing in his own blood for something like half an hour before he actually died."
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