Rodney Marsh, 36, from Wigan, thought he was going to a posh Cheshire village with Darren Smith and Gareth Bishop to commit petty crime.
Who else has been locked up in Novemebr? Sentences and photo gallery
But when they arrived Bishop and Smith, who was having an affair with Mr Marsh's partner Amanda Leech, murdered their pal and hid his body in woodland near Alderley Edge.
After the killing was carried out on Ms Leech's birthday in February this year, Smith wrote in a letter to her: "I love you - haven't I proved it to you in the most ultimate way possible."
Smith, 42, and Bishop, 26, denied murder, but were found guilty and given life sentences after a trial at Chester Crown Court.
Smith, of Knowsley Avenue, Golborne, Wigan, must serve a minimum of 18 years and Bishop, of Lincoln Place, Marsh Green, Wigan, a minimum of 17 years.
Mr Marsh's body was discovered by walkers early on the morning of February 26. His skull had been shattered.
After being arrested and interviewed, the killers were bailed. But they fled with Ms Leech to the seaside resort of Scarborough, where detectives tracked them down.
Smith denied the affair despite police uncovering more than 1,400 phone calls and text messages between the lovers in the four weeks leading up to the murder.
Love letters were also found at her house. Ms Leech was arrested but never linked to the murder.
The court heard how Smith and Bishop tried to destroy the clothes they wore during the attack and scrapped the Rover car they drove to Alderley Edge.
Passing sentence, Judge Timothy King said: "The murder involved significant planning and premeditation that involved the use of weapons. It was a sustained and ferocious attack."
Mr Marsh's family said: "Rodney was a loving son, brother and devoted dad to Jordan, Shauna, Rebecca and Chelsea. He was fun-loving with a great sense of humour and always living life to the full. We feel justice has been served." Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Another sad story. But I see that the fugitives absconded when they were released on bail. No doubt wasting more police money. Why were murderers allowed out on bail?????
Honour amongst thieves.
Three more scum off the street but, unfortunately, two will be back on it in a few years' time - though one of those may not be long on this Earth judging by the bulk he's carrying.
"A DAD-of-four was lured to his death by two of his friends", what would his enemies done then?
If this had been written 20 years ago as the plot of a story it would have been a fantasy. Today it is almost the norm! What has become of this country? I despair. My sympathies go to this poor man’s family. RIP.
Nice people!! with friends like that, who needs enemies.
Well that's three more off the streets. Shame we're going to have to keep paying for the upkeep of two of them.
Hellas - what is the matter with you?
This petty thief is dead and his family are left behind. Can you imagine what kind of death he endured? being lured into a woods and beaten to death? Your comments and people like you absoloutley disgust me, you say the most stupid, naive and downright inhumane things on here without actually thinking it through.
Do you think it's clever to make fun of the terrible loss of human life in the most horrific of circumstances just because this guy perhaps stole the odd lawnmower from a garden shed???
This man is a product of his environment and should be pittied, because he didn't have the capacity to do anything else with his life. I know there are exceptions who fight there way out of deprived, working class, uneducated backgrounds because I am one of them.
Your value system is all wrong, I would suggest you need help with your thinking and I would never trust someone like you with the kids.
I'm ashamed that you are a Mancunian, the forward thinking, liberal, inovative and radical City of the world - You have no business here, please go to some right wing dictatorship regimed country and see how you like your politics in real life if you feel that strongly - No I thought you wouldn't fancy that, you facist bully fantasist.
Hands of Stone Southside:
Some idiot stole my lawnmower once I wasn't happy it was a top of the range compact Castel XE70 Rider. I didn't think about how he was from a deprived background I thought he was a scum bag.
Still I wouldn't have had him killed.
Hands of Stone - Where's 'Southside'? Islington? You're quick to make excuses for criminal scum and quick to hurl abuse at those who condemn their behaviour. I'd suggest it's you who needs to take a look at your 'value system'. The large majority of those you patronisingly describe as "deprived, working class, uneducated" folk are perfectly decent folk. These guys were clearly not. They are/were obviously nasty pieces of work. To pretend otherwise is not "liberal, radical and innovative", it's twisted.
Cynical Cynic, if you really think this sort of murder didn't happen twenty plus years ago then you are very much mistaken.
Good grief! I wouldn't fancy my chances with some of you lot - to have a man violently and sadistically killed for THINKING about committing a PETTY crime!!! Not a child molester nor a paedophile, mind you!! Don't get me wrong, I believe in an 'eye for an eye' and I would't give a criminal the time of day; however to want this guy's skull caved in...somewhat extreme, don't you think??...GO on, THINK!!!
Gary Salamder - You are equally disgusting and you should be deeply ashamed of yourself. I don't like what you've said, so by the rules of your law is it ok for me to come and take you into the woods and kill you? No, that would be ridiculous and grotesque, just like this crime and just like your opinion and mind!
For your information, I was born in Longsight and now live in Altrincham via Strangeways, University, Notting Hill, Whalley Range, Didsbury: which gives me a balanced view of many different people from many different backgrounds and cultures - bet your some pigeon racer from some daft rednack district.
Just because someone does something you don't like does not give anyone the right to kill or condone the cruel cold torturous murder of another human being??? How do you not see that??
You need help mate if you think it's good that this man is dead becasue of his circumstances and weakness.
He was nothing more than a petty criminal and didn't deserve that.
As for your silly arguments about people from working class, uneducated, deprived backgrounds being mostly decent folk, I fully understand that however it is more likely that people from this demographic will partake in petty crude crime: so for you to be so pedantic and try to exploit that part of my post displays your lack of intelligence and inability to take in what I have wrote with any kind of intelligence - that probably goes some way to explain why you think its funny and cheap that another human being has been beaten to death in the woods at night.
You neanderthal moron!
There are many murders brought about by sexual jealousy.It doesnt only happen in the working classes.Men and sometimes women cant handle rejection.In this day and age when people dont stay with one partner for life it is likely to become more common.I think that when teens are having sex education that this sort of conflict should be a big part of that education.
Hands of Stone. I'm curious as to what you studied at university? Clearly not logic or comprehension.
Hands of Stone,
after your stint in Strangeways, what was it that turned you into the obvious decent person you now are, Instead of a repetative criminal?
and in the mean time this mans family can read all your comments! i know them they are a decent family!! back off with the 3 off the streets talk!!! thanks
incidently he didnt steal lawnmowers!!
The man sat on the chair - It's been in a chop shop and has been imported to Germany.
Gary salamder - Err yeah, but that 'joke' doesn't quite work does it you spanner? there is no such course is there silly?
Comprehension and logic, certainly does not dicate cold blooded murder does it? I think you know that the majority if honest would agree that petty criminals deserve to die a horrendous death.
Supreme being - Thank you : I just realised after a few years out of nick that there had to be more to life and that I could do better as you only get one go at it.
Now I have a couple of kids and the perspective/relativeity is even clearer.
cheeky chops - I don't really know what he did, nor do I really care: all I need to know is that a petty criminal does not deserve to die this way and it is a sad cheap loss of human life.
I stated what I did for the purposes of demonstrating the ludicrous attempts of some horrible nasty cruel 'people' saying he desreved it.
All the idiots who think its cool or clever to say scum off the street etc, go and say that to his families face hey?