JUBILANT Danny Derbyshire was today celebrating his freedom with his family after being cleared of the murder of "Gentle Giant" Anthony Leecy.

Mr Derbyshire and his wife Anne say they have been through eight months of hell but are now planning their future together. The 24-year-old snooker and pool player was arrested seven months ago after the battered body of Anthony Leecy was found in a river bed in Clitheroe town centre.

The accused man and Mr Anthony had been friends for more than ten years and were drinking together on the evening of the killing.

He said: "I have been through hell and now I am just looking to going home with my wife to see my little girl.

"I always knew I was innocent and that a jury would find me innocent. I was very, very nervous and when the jury came back into the court I didn't know what was going to happen."

The jury at Preston Crown Court gave a unanimous verdict of not guilty and also found Mr Derbyshire, of Burnley Road, Accrington, innocent of manslaughter.

Anne Derbyshire, 36, shouted in delight when the verdict was announced but Mr Leecy's family and friends broke down and sobs could be heard coming from the public gallery.

The trial lasted six days and the jury took less than a day to reach its verdict. Mr Derbyshire, who has an eight-month-old daughter Charlotte, said: "I just want to go home and I think we will be moving away from the area.

"At the moment all I can think about is being with my wife and daughter."

The trial heard the defendant and the dead man had fought in the river bed before Mr Leecy is believed to have died.

Mr Leecy was described as a gentle man who shied away from violence but had problems with money and gambling.

On the night of the killing Mr Derbyshire and Anthony Leecy were drinking in the Starkie Arms and playing pool for money.

The two men were caught walking through the town centre together on CCTV in the early hours of the morning.

Mr Derbyshire claimed in court that Clitheroe man David Haslam was the last person to see the mill worker alive.

But Mr Haslam, who was also arrested on suspicion of the murder, denied being at the alleged murder scene and told the jury he was in bed at the time of the killing.

Mrs Derbyshire said: "This last few months has been hell for all of us, Danny has missed his daughter growing up and all I want to do is get him home.

"Danny is no angel but I always knew he was innocent and there was no way he had murdered anyone.

"Having to visit him in prison was a nightmare but now he is out we are just looking forward to spending Christmas together."

Mrs Derbyshire said: "We bear no grudges against Anthony's family but the police ought to look into this.

"This whole thing came about because there are money lenders operating in Clitheroe."

Judge Justice Kay thanked the jury at the end of the trial. He said: "This has been a difficult trial. It is obvious that you have taken care in reaching your verdict."

Detective Superintendent Mike Arnold, the man who led the investigation into the murder, said: "We are aware of the verdict.

"There are no plans to reopen the investigation. Our inquiries into the death of Anthony Leecy are now complete."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.