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Three jailed for torture killing | Three jailed for torture killing |
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Three men have been jailed for their part in the murder of a 26-year-old man who was tortured with scissors in the mistaken belief he was a paedophile. | |
Alan Street was attacked at a house in Padiham, Lancashire, in December 2008 and his body was found in a culvert in Accrington on 19 January. | |
Allan Palmer, 44, and Peter Leonard, 52, were convicted of murder and must serve 25 and 28 years respectively. | |
Kieron Davison, 21, must serve eight years after admitting manslaughter. | |
Preston Crown Court heard Leonard, 52, of Oswaldtwistle, hated Street for going out with his ex-girlfriend. | |
Davison, 21, who both lived in Stockbridge Road, Padiham, believed Street was a paedophile. | |
Peter Leonard hated Mr Street for going out with his ex-girlfriend | |
Mr Street was convicted of rape in 1999 but there was no evidence he had abused children, the court was told. | Mr Street was convicted of rape in 1999 but there was no evidence he had abused children, the court was told. |
He was battered with a wooden pole and stabbed in the eye and ear with a pair of scissors before his body was moved from the house in Stockbridge Road and later dumped. | |
Leonard and his friend Palmer were both jailed for life while Davison was cleared of murder but admitted taking part in the killing. | |
Det Supt Neil Hunter, of Lancashire police, said: "When I first visited the scene the sight that greeted me was horrific. | |
"It was quite clear that an act of gratuitous violence had taken place and now those people responsible have been quite rightly punished with lengthy terms of imprisonment. | |
"The wicked nature of the attack which was extremely unpleasant, involving elements of torture on a man who was unable to defend himself which was sickening and demonstrates how cowardly the offenders were, especially Leonard and Palmer." |