TWO young men are facing life sentences after being found guilty of the brutal murder of a frail pensioner who was tortured and beaten to death at his Landford home last September.

The guilty verdict at the end of the four-week trial of Joby Barney, 25, and 19-year-old John James, at Winchester Crown Court, was returned on Wednesday.

Murder victim, Reginald John Baker, who was suffering from terminal cancer and had been described as “as defenceless as a baby”, was found dead at his Beech Grange home on September 5.

He had suffered horrific injuries, including a broken back and neck, 62 fractures to his ribs and extensive deep-muscle bruising.

The cartilage in his left ear had been smashed and he had stab wounds to the back of his hand and his face.

The court heard Barney and James forced their way into the pensioner’s home looking for money and tortured him when they didn’t find what they were looking for.

Judge, Mr Justice Royce, had asked the jury to carefully consider the evidence in deciding whether they acted together or separately.

Barney, of Ringwood Road, Alderholt, and James, of London Road, Salisbury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle Mr Baker’s home, but had each blamed the other for the murder.

John Wayne Wilkinson, 40, of Ford Lane, Ferndown, was convicted of conspiracy to burgle on September 5, but cleared of an earlier burglary at Mr Baker’s home on July 30.

Two other men, Daniel Coker, 23, of London Road, and 19-year-old Trevor Gray, of The Friary, Salisbury, admitted manslaughter and conspiracy to burgle.

All three men have been remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.