A 25-year-old Dorset man has been jailed for life for the brutal murder of a frail pensioner who was tortured and beaten to death in his own home last autumn.

Joby Barney from Ringwood Road, Alderholt, will spend at least 30 years behind bars while his co-accused John James, 19, from London Road, Salisbury, will serve a minimum of 28 years in custody.

Yesterday’s guilty verdicts came at the end of a four-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Earlier jurors heard how Reginald John Baker, 75, was suffering from terminal cancer and was “as defenceless as a baby” when he was tortured to death using a knife and his own walking stick at Landford, Wiltshire, on September 5.

He suffered horrific injuries including a broken back and neck, 62 fractures to his ribs and extensive deep muscle bruising. The cartilage in his left ear had been smashed and he had stab wounds to the back of his hand and his face.

The court was told how Barney and James had forced their way into the pensioner’s home looking for money and tortured him for 40 minutes when they failed to find what they were after.

Judge John Royce told Barney and Royce: “There is no escaping the fact that both of you willingly pursued this sickening, prolonged, callous and vicious attack before leaving this old man dying.

“Afterwards you went out for an evening’s drinking without, it would appear, a care in the world, certainly not a care for him.”

Barney and James had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle but denied murder, blaming each other for Mr Baker’s death.

John Wayne Wilkinson, 40, from Ford Lane, Ferndown, was convicted of conspiracy to burgle but cleared of an earlier burglary at Mr Baker’s home on July 30.

See Mr Baker opening the door to Barney and James then try to escape as they ransack his house

Two other men Daniel Coker, 23, from London Road, Salisbury, and Trevor Gray, 19, from The Friary, Salisbury, admitted manslaughter and conspiracy to burgle.

All three have been remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.