JadeDash

Lee Calvert, 23, Joseph Lowther, 22, Robert Woodhead, 28, and Andrew Feather, 23, were all found guilty at Bradford Crown Court of the murder of Barry Selby.

Calvert, Lowther and Woodhead were also found guilty of an additional charge of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

All four men were jailed for life.

Calvert must serve a minimum of 36 years, Lowther and Woodhead 32 years each and Feather 26.

Mr Selby, 50, was confronted in the early hours of October 14 last year, by an armed gang who burst into his bedroom and shot him in the legs.

As he lay on the floor they poured acid all over his body while his terrified wife Donna hid behind their bed.

Mrs Selby was forced to listen in horror as her husband cried out in agony as the corrosive liquid burned through his flesh causing him 50% burns.

The dad fought for his life for four days before his organs failed due to the stress of his injuries and he died.

Police who investigated the savage killing discovered Mr Selby's son Liam had been involved in a bust up with yobs on their council estate.

The killers had sworn vengeance on Liam by turning up at his family home in Bradford, West Yorks, to kneecap and kill his father.

As the four men were convicted today of murder, ringleader Calvert, 23, punched one security guard to the floor and fought with another as the jury returned its guilty verdicts.

He had to be wrestled to the ground by three dock officers and led away to the cells by the scruff of his neck.

The court heard how the killing arose out of a string of tit-for-tat incidents between two groups of men on the Holme Wood estate.

Liam was said to be a member of the one of the gangs and Calvert and his friends from the other.

At 2am on the night of the murder Calvert's gang – all wearing balaclava masks and armed with guns – drew up outside Liam's family home, smashed open the front door and stormed upstairs where his parents were in bed.

Mr Selby told his wife to "stay out of the way" and she crouched down between her bed and the wall as he went to face the gang alone.

He tried to prevent his attackers coming in but the bedroom door was forced open and Mrs Selby heard her husband shout "get out" and then heard him crying out in pain.

The gang then shot Mr Selby in the left leg. The bullet penetrated through the limb and into his other leg, rendering him immobile.

They then sprayed him with acid.

Mrs Selby told the court: "He cried out, then it all went quiet and I raised my head to look around the bedroom. He was lying on the floor and one of the intruders was standing over him."

The court heard one of the gang also stormed into the bedroom of Mr Selby's daughter, Jade, and threw a liquid at her but it did not make contact. The gang then fled.

Paramedics arrived at the scene to find Mr Selby lying on the floor with acid burns to the back of his scalp, neck, back and legs.

He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary and then transferred to a specialist unit at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, with 50% acid burns.

Mr Selby had two surgeries and initially there was an improvement in his condition – but he then deteriorated and sadly died.

Simon Myerson QC prosecuting said: "The manner of Mr Selby's death was shocking and upsetting. What these men had done is to shoot Barry Selby in the left leg. It was a kneecapping. They then doused his back from head to foot with acid.

"Police and paramedics who attended noticed a haze and a strong sulphurous smell and were themselves affected by the fumes.

"Mr Selby was covered in what looked like brown paint that paramedics correctly believed was acid. Unfortunately, without knowing the type of acid, the paramedics were unable to wash it away and just had to watch as it burned into Mr Selby's back.

"The flesh from his neck, back, arms and legs had been burned away. Mr Selby's system was simply unable to cope with the stress to which it was subjected, his heart and kidneys were affected and he died."

Det Ch Insp Nick Wallen, of West Yorks Police, said after the case that officers had never seen the use of acid in such circumstances and with such "devastating consequences".

He said: "Barry was a much loved husband, father and grandfather and is sadly missed by family and friends. The defendants have not given evidence and have never offered an explanation for what they did, but they are, without doubt, very dangerous and evil men.

"The lengthy sentences passed down today clearly reflect the seriousness of their actions and are welcomed by the team of police officers and staff who have worked on this investigation. I would also like to thank those who gave evidence for showing great courage in coming forward."

A statement from Mr Selby's family, said: "We are extremely happy with the outcome of the trial and the verdict has shown us that justice has been served. We would like to say thank you to our close family and friends for their support throughout what has been a traumatic time.

"We would also like to thank the police family liaison officers for the support they have provided over the past months.We now feel as a family that we have some closure and can start to move forward with our lives."

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