Life term for two guilty of murdering businessman Richard Deakin

David Harrison and Darryl Dickens were both sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court after jurors unanimously decided they had killed father-of-two Mr Deakin in 2010.

The 27-year-old was shot in the chest and leg with a sawn-off shotgun while lying in his Burntwood home in a murder that shocked the community. His mother Carol said she was "over the moon" with the verdicts.

Harrison, who was the gunman, will serve a minimum of 37 years, while getaway driver Dickens will serve 30.

Both showed no emotion when the verdicts were read out in Birmingham Crown Court, marking the end of a five-week trial.

Mrs Deakin revealed her son's fiancee Megan – who had not been in court and earlier gave crucial evidence via video link – was coincidently at Mr Deakin's grave when the verdicts were delivered.

The pair had become engaged the weekend before he was murdered. Mother Mrs Deakin added: "The whole family are overwhelmed. My first emotion was relief that these people have been taken off the streets and can't hurt anyone else. Megan was at Richard's grave this morning and I've spoken to her on the phone, she was sobbing.

"I'd like to thank the jury and Staffordshire Police for all their hard work and continued support.

"But I won't rest until the man who put up the money to have Richard killed is also behind bars, hopefully for the same sentence. He knows who he is and I know who he is."

Harrison, aged 63 of Rainbow Street, and Dickens, 34 of Powell Place, had both denied murder. Their fate was sealed when the jury returned at around 11.20am today. They have been deliberating the facts of the case for three days. Lord Justice Roderick Evans said to Harrison: "The likelihood is you will die in prison."

Addressing them both, he said: "This was a carefully planned and professionally executed contract killing.

"You were paid by people who are still at large.

"It involved people way beyond you.

"How many people is difficult, almost impossible, to say.

"There is only one sentence I can pass and it life imprisonment."

The judge added that it had been a difficult and in some respects harrowing case.

Harrison had previous convictions for violent and gun crime.

Dickens was an "inferior participant" to Harrison, the judge said, but the aggravating factor of careful planning cancelled that out. Just before he was shot dead Mr Deakin had said goodbye to his two daughters before Megan went on the school run.