Murderers who dumped a fatally injured man in a box to die after attacking him in a row over £20 have been jailed for life.
Blaine Hammond was killed in a prolonged attack by Louis Whelan and Anthony Keating, who stamped, kicked and punched him, causing a devastating brain injury. Whelan then dragged his unconscious victim to a disused utility box in Sunderland and locked him in on a cold December night.
Whelan, 23, who has 21 previous convictions and Keating, 23, who has nine previous convictions, were both found guilty of murdering Blaine after a trial last year. As the pair were jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years at Newcastle Crown Court, 22-year-old Blaine's mum, Leigh Gray, outlined the devastating impact her son's death has had on her and his family and friends.
