Man who killed Edwin Bradley at his Walsall home locked up for at least 18 years

Darren Barnes smashed Edwin ‘Eddie’ Bradley over the head with a bottle of whisky, knocking him to the floor before mercilessly kicking and stamping on him in the living room of his Walsall flat.

Then the 48-year-old murderer heaped more misery on the victim's horrified relatives by wrongly branding him as a paedophile.

Barnes stood stone faced in the Wolverhampton Crown Court dock as Judge Michael Challinor told him: "You showed callous disregard for Mr Bradley's welfare in an explosion of violence rather than a planned and premeditated murder, probably because you believed, wrongly as it turned out, that he had indecent images on his computer. It was a persistent and extremely violent attack."

The defendant, who declined to give evidence during his trial, was today jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 18 years before he can be considered for parole. He was unanimously found guilty yesterday.

Barnes had become a regular visitor to the victim's home during the days running up to the attack, which happened between July 2 and 4, after meeting him in a Walsall pub.

Caught in Derbyshire

The murderer abandoned the rented room in Bloxwich Road, Walsall, changed his mobile phone and fled to Derbyshire where he had lived previously on July 4.

Neighbours saw him walking towards the town's railway station pulling a suitcase and carrying Mr Bradley's guitar in its distinctive case.

He stole watches, jewellery and a computer hard drive from the home of the victim whose battered body was discovered after police were alerted by neighbours two days later.

The body was hidden in the living room under a three-feet high stack of household goods.

Barnes was arrested at a pub in Matlock on July 27 and told officers while being driven to Derby police station for questioning: "He deserved it. He was a nonce."

When formally interviewed he made no comment about the apparent admission.

Detective Chief Inspector Edward Foster, from the force’s Homicide Unit, said: "This is a tragic situation where a man was killed by someone he trusted.

"Although this sentence will never bring him back, we hope it will provide some justice for his family.

"Barnes was a callous murderer who attempted to flee, but I am satisfied that he will now spend many years behind bars."