TWO 'defenceless' flatmates were killed with 'incomprehensible brutality' with a bottle and pieces of wood, a court heard.

Neil Gilmore and James Atkinson, both 55, were severely beaten in their flat in Waddington Avenue, Burnley, a murder trial jury was told.

Preston Crown Court heard that Mr Gilmore's skull had been “effectively shattered” in the attack, and there was “barely a bone intact” in his face and head.

Defendants Kenneth Howson, 25, and Daniel Waddington, 22, went on to take photos of the bodies on a mobile phone, prosecutor Tony Cross said.

They then hid the weapons and clothes from the evening.

Mr Cross said the attack, on October 4 last year, had taken place in a “brutal and cowardly way” and “both men had been the victims of savage beatings”.

The court was told that Howson, as well as his brother and sister, blamed Mr Atkinson for the death of his mum, Pamela Brown, in September last year.

Mr Atkinson, a chronic diabetic, lived with Ms Brown, who suffered from depression, in Brunshaw Avenue, the court heard.

But on the evening of August 29 she had taken an insulin overdose, and as a result died on September 7.

Mr Cross said: “It was plain from the word go that the Howson children somehow blamed James Atkinson for first her condition and then her demise, believing he could have done something more to save her.”

Mr Atkinson had been arrested following the death and been bailed by police, who had warned him about recriminations against him from the family and feared for his safety.

The court heard that shortly after Ms Brown's death, Mr Atkinson was admitted to hospital, and while in hospital the house he had shared with Ms Brown in Brunshaw Avenue was targeted by arsonists.

As a result, when he left hospital Mr Atkinson had ended up living with Mr Gilmore, who was known locally as Gilly. Both men were described as 'alcoholics' in court.

The court was told that Howson, of Williams Road, and Waddington, of Pine Street, both Burnley, had been at the men’s flat in the late afternoon of October 4 and again later on in the evening, shortly after 10pm.

Mr Cross said that Howson had told a friend at around 9pm that he was angry with Mr Atkinson and was going to 'Gilly's to do Jimmy in', and that Waddington told him he would go along 'for a laugh'.

The court heard that after returning to the flat that Mr Gilmore and Mr Atkinson shared Howson and Waddington attacked them with a 1.5 litre bottle of Cassini wine and a piece of wood snapped off some bedroom furniture from within the flat.

Mr Cross said: “At some stage extreme violence was visited on two men using no less than two weapons, a piece of wood and a bottle.

“Both men were attacked with an incomprehensible brutality. The brutality of the attack can be judged by the severity of the injuries that they received when both men were in a defenceless position.”

The court was cold that the weapons were burried on a piece of land next to the house of Howson’s sister Krystal, in Waddington Avenue, and they were later discovered by police.

Clothes that Howson had been wearing were also discovered by officers at his brother, Lee Howson's, home in Williams Road.

A football shirt worn on the evening of the attack belonging to Waddington was also discovered, although the rest of his clothes from that evening have never been found, Mr Ross said.

The court was told that all items of clothing recovered had blood stains from the attack on them.

Officers also found a mobile phone when they searched Howson's home which had two pictures of James Atkinson's body and one of Neil Gilmore's on it.

Mr Cross said: “These men were acting together from first to last. They have only fallen out in a desperate attempt to absolve themselves of blame.”

Both men deny two charges of murder.

Proceeding.

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