The gipsy brothers who ran over and killed a father-of-two as he tried to stop them stealing his car radio

Two gipsy brothers were convicted of murder yesterday for running over a father-of-two in their car and dragging him 50 yards up the road as he tried to stop them stealing his van radio.

Police believe it is the first case of its kind involving death caused by a moving vehicle where a defendant has been convicted of murder rather than manslaughter.

Builder Balbir Matharu, 54, ran out of his office when he heard the sound of smashing glass and spotted Albert and Tommy Willett, who have a litany of convictions for car theft, grabbing the stereo on the morning of January 12 2006.

Bravely confronting the thieves, he stood in front of their green Ford Mondeo and told them to wait for the police.

But 26-year-old Albert Willett floored the accelerator and drove straight at Mr Matharu, who was knocked under the car and trapped underneath.

He was taken to hospital and treated for fractures to his ribs, collarbone and pelvis but died after suffering a massive heart attack on the operating table.

A post mortem revealed he had suffered internal bleeding after being run over.

Later that day the two brothers drove the Mondeo to a scrap yard and had it crushed over fears the number plate would be traced.

The pair, both heroin addicts who stole cars to fund their £150-a-day addiction, boasted about the killing friends and lovers and each bragged that they had driven the car.

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Despite no witnesses coming forward over the murder in Stratford, East London, police eventually linked the brothers to it and arrested them six months later.

They were already in prison for other offences and officers bugged their cells and phone calls.

Convinced their Romany dialect would be incomprehensible to police, they blithely spoke of the killing and discussed how best to get away with the murder but the "Rocka" language was translated by police experts.

Tommy, 24, was recorded calling Matharu a "dirty old P*ki" and was overheard telling Albert: "Manslaughter, manslaughter that's not bad is it?."

Detectives also managed to persuade associates of the Willetts to give evidence against them.

Many of the witnesses spoke from behind a screen and had their voices distorted to hide their identity.

Both brothers denied being in the car but on the first day of the trial Albert pleaded guilty to manslaughter and admitted being the driver.

He claimed he thought he'd just clipped Mr Matharu.

It emerged that after killing Mr Matharu, Willett later carried out a carried out a knifepoint robbery on an elderly man and was jailed.

He is also serving a six year sentence for supplying fellow inmates in jail with drugs smuggled by his girlfriend.

The pair showed no emotion as they were found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey.

Albert swore at the jury as he left. They will be sentenced on Thursday.

Mr Matharu's wife Sukhvinder sobbed and was comforted by her son Inderjit and daughter Baljinder, whose victim impact statement was read to the court.

She described her father as a "decent, honourable, man who loved, looked after and did everything for his family".

"My dad did everything for us and never wanted or expected anything in return. He loved us unreservedly and we did him," she said.

The 28-year-old added: "The people who killed my dad showed nothing for him as a human being and complete disregard to his life, our lives and anyone who knew him."

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DCI John McDonald said: "The only way to describe the Willett brothers is as absolute low-life. They don't deserve to be at liberty because all they do is cause misery for everyone else.

"Right up until the trial they lied continually and denied having anything to do with this case.

"Tommy himself admitted that he was a scumbag during the trial and that is exactly what it is. They are both complete scumbags.

"They both had £150-a-day heroin habits and had never worked a day in their lives."

Mr Matharu's death prompted Met police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair to accuse the media of institutional racism after his murder went virtually unreported compared with that of white city lawyer Tom ap Rhys Price, who was killed on the same day.

But yesterday the family disagreed with Mr Blair and said they had been happy with the press coverage.