A FORMER plasterer has been jailed for life after being convicted of strangling a Bolton grandfather to death and dumping his body in a reservoir.

Candido Pereira, of Chorley New Road, Bolton, had denied murdering Darren McMinn and was standing trial at Manchester Crown Court.

But this morning a jury unanimously found the 37-year-old Portuguese - who worked as a plasterer for Bolton@Home until September last year - guilty of murder.

Family members gasped and shouted 'yes' as the verdict was delivered. 

Relatives hugged one another outside the courtroom and thanked the detectives involved.

Pereira was sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of 24 years before being eligible to apply for parole. 

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr McMinn's son Saul McMinn said: "I cannot begin to put into words how devastated everyone was when they found out he had been murdered.

"The hardest thing is my son keeps asking why his granddad Macky has gone to heaven - and the thought my dad will never see him grow up."

Judge Clement Goldstone, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, said Pereira reached the "untold depths of wickedness" by trussing up Mr McMinn's body and with the help of accomplice Nicholas Hindle "unceremoniously dumped" him in the Yarrow Reservoir in Hodge Brow, near Rivington.

Hindle, aged 23, of Crosby Road, Heaton, who previously admitted assisting an offender by helping to dispose of Mr McMinn's body, was jailed for four years.

Former warehouseman Mr McMinn, known as Macky, disappeared on April 11.

The 48-year-old, who was single and has an older brother Carl, was devoted to his only son Saul, Saul's partner Kirstie Morris and Saul and Kirstie's young son Regan.

Prior to going missing, Mr McMinn had moved out of his Connaught Square, Tonge Moor, flat and had spoken of possibly sleeping rough.

Police appealed for information about his whereabouts and the victim's body was found on May 3 by an underwater police search team in the reservoir.

During the trial, jurors were told the victim had visited the defendant’s basement flat in Chorley New Road, Bolton, on April 11 to take class A drugs.

Pereira, who was under the influence of crack cocaine, gave Mr McMinn a "taster" sample of heroin.

The judge said Pereira blamed Mr McMinn for the theft of a crop of cannabis he had grown at his flat and despite protests from Mr McMinn himself and a mutual friend that the grandfather was not responsible, the defendant's distrust and resentment towards Mr McMinn was "festering".

Pereira attacked Mr McMinn with a knife and a struggle ensured. After overpowering the more diminuitive man the Portuguese wrapped the electrical flex of an industrial vacuum cleaner around Mr McMinn's neck and pulled it tight for at least three minutes until he had asphyxiated his visitor.

Simon Medland, prosecuting, said of Mr McMinn: "He was first supplied with heroin and then murdered in a prolonged, violent and severe assault.

“It was this violence that led to his death."

On the day of his death, Mr McMinn sent a text message to friend Daniel Farrell at just before 10.30am and spoke to his aunt, Denise Hallam, by telephone at around 12.45pm.

The court heard that Mr Farrell tried contacting his friend six times before receiving a reply at just before 7pm, saying: "I’m busy call you later".

Mr Medland said: “Mr Farrell doesn’t believe that text was written by Macky as it didn’t read like something he would write.

“There were other texts between 7pm to 7.04pm and Mr Farrell didn’t think these texts were from Maccy either.”

The prosecution allege that Mr McMinn was already dead when the texts were sent.

Once police established the last person to see Mr McMinn alive had been Pereira, officers went to Portuguese's flat and noticed that part of the carpet had been replaced.

Mr Medland said: "After looking at the hole that had been patched up, officers thought it was a curious shape.

“The defendant was interviewed several times under caution and finally admitted that he had been responsible for killing Mr McMinn, wrapping up his body with carpet, sheet and ropes."

Pereira led officers to the reservoir from which Mr McMinn's remains were recovered.

The court heard that Mr McMinn’s body had been weighted down with electrical transformer boxes and had lain undiscovered for two weeks.

Pereira claimed in evidence he had killed Mr McMinn in self-defence after Mr McMinn came at him with a knife.

Mr Medland had told the jury: "There is no dispute that Mr McMinn died in that flat and the defendant is responsible for his death.

"He says he acted in lawful self-defence that he thought was necessary at the time.

"There is a disparity of injury between Mr McMinn and the defendant, who was barely injured at all.

"If he had been subject to a knife attack and needed to use force to protect himself, it didn’t take him long to get his composure back, cut out carpet, go about buying new carpet and come across as a normal customer described as smiling, bubbly and polite.

"He didn’t report the attack to the police but went about covering his tracks, on his phone and cleaning up his flat, and then disposing of his body.

"This case is not one where this defendant should be acquitted for Mr McMinn’s death on self-defence — this is murder.”

The jury convicted Pereira after a little over five hours of deliberation spanning two days.

Pereira had already admitted preventing a lawful burial, supplying diamorphine to Mr McMinn on April 11 and cultivating cannabis on April 29.

Mr McMinn is remembered by friends as a devoted family man and many paid tribute to him after it was confirmed he had died.

Jeff Robby, who owns Skin City Tattoo Studio in Tonge Moor Road, Hall I' Th' Wood, had been friends with the grandfather since childhood.

Mr Robby, who set up a tribute page on Facebook, told The Bolton News in May: "There's a lot of sadness and as you can see from Facebook there's a lot of people who had a lot of time and respect for Macky."

Mr Robby, who attended Castle Hill High School in Tonge Moor with Mr McMinn, said: "He has always been the same: happy, bubbly and genuine.

"You couldn't meet a nicer lad. He was loved by everybody and was a true gentleman.

"He loved football – he supported Bolton Wanderers – and he loved sports training. He always kept himself fit and he had completed some qualifications to become a gym instructor."

Mr McMinn attended Mr Robby's tattoo parlour twice last year to have separate designs applied.

He had an angel etched on the top of his back and later had a pair of hands, clasped in prayer and holding rosary beds, inked on the middle of his back.

One piece of Mr McMinn's jewellery which he was wearing when he went missing has never been recovered.

It is a gold chain with a cross and a rectangular piece with red in the centre that holds great sentimental value to Mr McMinn's son.

Despite police appeals the necklace has never been traced.