Construction boss battered to death by two Eastern European builders - after buying them flights home for Christmas

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A businessman was beaten to death by two immigrant workers he employed to help his business.

Father-of-three Pavaiz Iqbal, 41, recruited the Czech builders to meet the demands of his flourishing construction business amid a shortage of skilled workmen in the UK.

But the two men hatched a plan to beat up and rob their boss before fleeing home with the money.

They even persuaded him to help them buy their "getaway" flights by saying they wanted to return home for Christmas.

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Cold-blooded: Killers Jiri Motl and Vladmir Brandejs wanted Mr Iqbal's money because they had failed to make savings of their own

Mr Iqbal was beaten with a mallet and a saucepan during a frenzied attack at his home in Deane, Bolton.

The attack was so ferocious the head of the mallet broke off and the handle of the saucepan snapped. Mr Iqbal later died from horrific head injuries.

Yesterday, Jiri Motl, 33, and Vladmir Brandejs, 27, were facing life imprisonment after they were convicted of murder at Manchester Crown Court.

Brandejs agreed to testify against his former workmate, saying: "We planned to attack Mr Iqbal but not to kill him.

"I walked behind him and I tried to knock him out with the mallet. He fell on to his hands and knees. Motl said that it was not enough and I hit him again.

"He was lying on the floor and still moving. Motl started jumping on his back.

"He was leaning with one arm on the wall and stamping on his back. I don't know how many times."

The jury was told that Mr Iqbal set up in business in Bolton in 2004 and needed more staff to cope with his increased workload.

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Victim: Father-of-three Pavaiz Iqbal was beaten to death with a mallet and saucepan

Motl and Brandejs had moved to Bolton from Kladno near Prague in October 2006 and quickly became established within the local East European community as skilled labourers.

They were introduced to Mr Iqbal as a potential employer and started working for him the following month.

But within days the pair were plotting to betray their boss.

After the murder, police found a bloodstained rucksack containing Brandejs' personal documents at the scene.

The killers flew back to Kladno with £600 they had stolen from their victim. They were arrested by police in the Czech Republic and extradited to Britain.

Brandejs admitted the charge at an earlier hearing while Motl was found guilty of murder after a trial in Manchester.

Both men are due to be sentenced in a fortnight.

After the hearing, Mr Iqbal's wife Izmat said: "Pavaiz will be very much missed by all of his family. We are totally distraught by this.

"His children miss him terribly."

 

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