Life for thug who stamped man to death

Lee Barratt, 20, had a grudge against Joseph Mohammed, who had helped convict Barratt after he spotted him breaking into cars outside his flat.

Barratt had pulled a knife on him but was spared jail for theft and possession of an offensive weapon.

Mr Mohammed, a mixed-race former mechanic who cared for his invalid father, feared Barratt would seek revenge - and a year later his nightmare came true.

After a confrontation near Mr Mohammed's home in Epsom, Surrey, on March 21 last year, Barratt knocked him to the ground before repeatedly kicking and stamping on his head. The Old Bailey heard that

Elaine Whitworth, who lived in a nearby house, heard Barratt screaming "you f***ing c***" in a "chav accent" and "the sound of dull thumps".

Sally Howes, prosecuting, said: "What Mrs Whitworth heard was the assault and the voice that she heard was Lee Barratt shouting and swearing as he struck the blows that finally felled and killed Mr Mohammed."

An ambulance paramedic described Mr Mohammed's face as "horribly swollen and grossly disfigured, his eyes were swollen slits".

Miss Howes said: "The paramedic was unable to tell whether he was black, white or Asian.

"In his seven years of service, he had never seen a head injury as severe as this."

The court heard that Barratt confessed to a friend that he had killed Mr Mohammed and police found items of bloodstained clothing he had discarded near his home.

Despite overwhelming forensic evidence, Barratt pleaded not guilty to murder, claiming Mr Mohammed attacked him and he was defending himself.

He was convicted by the jury of three women and nine men.

Judge Paul Focke jailed Barratt for life and ordered him to spend a minimum of 14 years behind bars before being considered for early release.

Earlier, the court heard that in June 2004 Mr Mohammed spotted Barratt in the car park outside his flat, breaking into two cars and stealing a mobile phone from each.

Miss Howes said: "Joseph Mohammed, having observed what Lee Barratt was doing, challenged him.

"Lee Barratt pulled a knife and threatened Mr Mohammed with the knife."

In April 2005 Barratt was convicted of four counts of criminal damage, two counts of theft and one count of possession of an offensive weapon after a trial in which Mr Mohammed appeared as the main prosecution witness.

He was given a community punishment order of 100 hours unpaid work.

Miss Howes said: "From that court appearance up to the assault on Joseph Mohammed, there was continuing bad feeling between the two men.

"Joseph Mohammed had become very frightened in the months leading up to his death."