TWO young men have been convicted of the “sadistic” murder of man they attacked with a mop handle.

A jury yesterday unanimously convicted Owen Skeat and Shaun Beatty of the murder of Westhoughton man Shaun Fitton.

Their co-accused, Michael Gerrard and Rebecca Birt, were both cleared of the murder.

Birt, aged 22, was instead convicted of manslaughter.

Gerrard was found not guilty of that offence and discharged from the dock.

A jury of seven women and five men at Liverpool Crown Court took six hours and 40 minutes to return their unanimous verdicts after a fourweek trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Gerrard, aged 22, of Rivington Street, Atherton, closed his eyes and sighed deeply when he was acquitted.

Birt, a mother-of-one, of West Bank Street, Tyldesley; Beatty, aged 20, of the same address, and Skeate, aged 23, of Bowling Green Row, Atherton, were all remanded in custody to await sentencing on April 9. During the trial, it was alleged that the attack on 26-year-old Mr Fitton was a sexually motivated and sadistic killing.

The judge, Mr Justice Henriques, said consideration would have to be given to the tariff imposed on the defendants.

He said: “If there is a sexual connotation, Parliament has determined there should be a higher starting point.”

He also told the jurors: “Your verdicts are exactly the verdicts I would have returned. I cannot always say that.”

The court heard Mr Fitton was attacked because, while drunk at her home, he asked Birt to have sex with him, which upset her boyfriend, Beatty.

Neil Flewitt, QC, prosecuting, said Beatty attacked Mr Fitton.

Skeat and Gerrard then arrived at Birt’s home and, after a further attack, Mr Fitton was stripped naked and covered in white paint.

He suffered serious abdominal injuries after being assaulted with a mop handle.

He was then dumped head-first in a wheelie bin and hauled up and down nearby James Street before being found wailing in pain by police, who had been alerted by concerned neighbours.

Investigating officers found a video camera in the house after the incident last August which showed three clips of the attack, filmed by Birt.

The court heard Mr Fitton, also known as Shaun Anthony Hall, died from multiple organ failure following serious head and abdominal injuries sustained in the attack on August 31.

At the conclusion of the trial, Mr Fitton’s father, Anthony Hall, from Farnworth, said: “I think the verdicts are correct. I would like to thank the jury, police and everyone for their efforts for getting this trial to a conclusion.

“I think Shaun has finally got justice and can be laid to rest and hopefully be with God.

“He was a kind-hearted lad, always helping others, but sadly he had got in with the wrong crowd.”