A BURNLEY man who was planning his 50th birthday party was beaten to death by two attackers who wanted money to buy drugs.

Victim James McParland, known to friends as Seamus, was killed as he walked home two days before his birthday after spending the night planning a celebration.

Sajid Hussain, 20, of Bramble Street, Burnley, and Omar Beg, 17, of Gray Street, Burnley, denied murder but were convicted by an 11-1 majority verdict and were both jailed for life at Preston Crown Court.

The jury heard that Mr McParland had been paid £160 for work he had done for his niece on the day of the attack.

But the money was not on him - or in his flat - when he was found.

Clement Goldstone QC, prosecuting, said Mr McParland had been drinking in the Wagoners pub and St Andrew's Conservative Club where he had placed a £20 deposit for his birthday party.

The attack took place in a back alley between Ford Street and Ryan Street on April 3 last year.

Mr McParland was still alive when he was discovered by a 19-year-old who had been out celebrating his own birthday. "He heard a male voice crying for help," said Mr Goldstone.

Mr McParland was bleeding heavily from the head and the wound proved fatal despite attempts by police and ambulancemen to resuscitate him. "He had been subjected to several blows by a combination of fist and foot.

"The two defendants kicked him and stole his money to buy drugs."

The prosecution alleged that the pair had met up with a friend at 6pm before heading to a disco.

They left at 10pm saying they had to go "on a mission".

After meeting others, they went to a friend's house to smoke cannabis.

Mr Goldstone said both were short of money but an hour after leaving they returned with cigarettes and cannabis valued at between £40 and £50.

"At 11 they didn't have enough money - by 12.30 they had come into money," he said.

The prosecution alleged that they saw Mr McParland making his way home and robbed him, injuring him so badly that he died.

The two defendants claimed they had nothing to do with the attack.

Beg told the jury that when they got to the house, there was no cannabis, and he had then made an arrangement with a former workmate to obtain some on credit.

Having got the cannabis, they went straight back to the house to smoke it. The two men admitted two other robberies and were given five-year concurrent sentences.

The first in March last year involved a 16-year-old boy, who was stopped as he cycled along the canal.

The boy was robbed of £17 and taken to a bank where he was made to use his father's card to obtain £20.

On April 24, a friend of Mr McParland's, Gerald Tattersall, 50, and known as Clint Eastwood because of his love of the Wild West, was also robbed.

Returning from a night out, he was frog-marched into his living room and tied to a chair. They stole £28, a cash card, collection of coins and an antique knife.

Sentencing them, Judge David Clark, said: "You two committed a series of appalling and cowardly robberies, one of which resulted in the death of your victim.

"You are a pair of dangerous young men. You are a disgrace to your families and a disgrace to your local community."

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