Two men have today been convicted of murdering father-of-three David Splatt, whose body was found in a brook in Preston.
David Splatt, 35, from Preston, was found on Sunday December 20th 2009 in a brook on common land between Moor Nook and the Grange estate in Ribbleton. He was found just after 8.15am by a man walking his dog.
A post mortem examination showed he had suffered severe head injuries and drowned.
Michael Casey, 19, of Fir Trees Avenue, Preston and David Carroll, 21, of Burholme Place, Preston were been convicted of murder after a trial at Preston Crown Court.
A third man, Keith Peel, 27, of Burnslack Road, Preston admitted murder at an earlier hearing.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hulme, of Lancashire Constabulary’s Force Major Investigation Team, said: "This was a particularly callous and brutal murder and I am satisfied with the outcome of this investigation.
"David Splatt was punched and kicked until he was unconscious and then stripped and dragged outside where he was left to die.
"This was a reckless and completely unnecessary act. All three men have shown no regard for human life, inflicting fatal injuries on Mr Splatt following a sustained attack before disposing of his body in a brook.
"This is one of the most appalling crimes I have investigated."
Speaking after the trial, Mr Splatt's family paid tribute to "brave" eyewitnesses for ensuring justice was done.
In a statement, they said: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank all family and friends for supporting us through this extremely tragic and stressful period.
"We would also like to thank the eye witnesses for their courage and bravery in helping the police solve this crime and giving testimony, which could not have been easy."
All three defendants will be sentenced at Preston Crown Court on 27th July 2010.
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