This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/lancashire/8310908.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Man convicted of rapist's murder Three guilty over rapist's death
(about 1 hour later)
Three men have been convicted of killing a rapist who was tortured to death with a pair of scissors and his body dumped in a drain. Three men have been convicted of killing a rapist who was tortured to death with a pair of scissors and his body dumped in a drain in Lancashire.
Alan Street, 26, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was found weeks after he was tortured and killed at the home of Allan Palmer in Padiham. Alan Street, 26, of Oswaldtwistle, was found weeks after he was tortured and killed at the home of Allan Palmer in Padiham, 44, who admitted the murder.
Palmer, 44, of Stockbridge Road, and Peter Leonard, 52, were convicted of murder at Preston Crown Court. Peter Leonard, 52, was convicted of murder. He hated Street for having a relationship with his ex-girlfriend.
Kieron Davison, 21, was cleared of murder but admitted manslaughter. At Preston Crown Court, Kieron Davison, 21, admitted manslaughter.
Palmer's brother Ian, 45, was also cleared of murder. Palmer's brother Ian, 45, was cleared of murder. Mr Davison was also accused of murder but acquitted.
Covered in blood
Mr Street was convicted of rape in 1999.Mr Street was convicted of rape in 1999.
The month-long trial heard Leonard had been an enemy of Street since the latter started seeing his ex-girlfriend in November 2004. The court heard Leonard, of Trinity Street, was sworn enemy of Mr Street, who starting going out with his ex-girlfriend Jane Proctor in November 2004.
The other men joined in with the attack in the mistaken belief that Street was a paedophile - although there was no evidence he had abused children. Paedophile error
Lancashire Police launched a murder inquiry at Christmas 2008 after finding the house in Stockbridge Road covered in traces of Street's blood. The pair had a fight in a pub more than two years later, in which Leonard suffered a broken jaw.
But it was not until 19 January that his body was found by workers in a culvert in Accrington. He had been weighed down with bricks. The other men joined in with the attack in the mistaken belief that Street was a paedophile - although there was no evidence he had abused children, the court was told.
Leonard was able to exact revenge came when Mr Street met up with the two Palmer brothers in Burnley town centre in December 2008.
The trio began drinking at Allan Palmer's house, on Stockbridge Road, where Davison, who also lived at the address, joined them.
The court heard Mr Street was beaten up with makeshift weapons.
Palmer then called Leonard and left a message saying: "I've got Alan Street in my house. You need to ring back if you want thing sorting."
Face fractures
Police searched the house in Stockbridge Road which was covered in traces of Street's blood, along with a bloodstained wooden pole and scissors.
His body was found on 19 January by workers in a culvert in Accrington. He had been weighed down with bricks.
Tests showed he had a number of cuts to his face and puncture wounds, consistent with scissor marks.Tests showed he had a number of cuts to his face and puncture wounds, consistent with scissor marks.
Fractures to the face were so extensive that his left cheekbone was left "floating free", the court heard.Fractures to the face were so extensive that his left cheekbone was left "floating free", the court heard.
Leonard, of Trinity Street, Oswaldtwistle, had denied murder claiming Street was already dead when he arrived at the house. The three will be sentenced in November.
He, Allan Palmer and Davison, who lived at Palmer's home on Stockbridge Road, will be sentenced in November.