Morning:
14°c
Teenager found guilty of father of five's murder
Ben Bailey11.08.09
A man and a boy of 16 were found guilty today of murdering a father of five who was beaten to death just yards from his front door.
Michael Eccles, 43, died on January 26, a day after sustaining serious injuries in a brutal street attack near his home in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
A jury at Birmingham Crown Court took four hours to find guilty Carl Keatley, 20, of Greencroft, Lichfield, and a 16-year-old boy, who is also from Lichfield.
The boy can now be identified as Jordan Carroll after a court order was lifted. His father, 55-year-old Edward Carroll, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
He tried to help his son "cover up" the crime by putting his blood-stained clothes in the washing machine and cleaning blood from his head.
Judge Robert Juckes QC said the case had been "difficult and troubling". He adjourned sentencing until Friday September 11. All three were remanded in custody.
Family members in the public gallery shouted "love you, Jord, love you, Carl" as they were convicted. Keatley waved back at them.
During the two-week trial, jurors heard that Mr Eccles was walking home from a local Costcutter store, having purchased a bottle of wine and some milk, when he was set upon by Keatley and Carroll, who was 15 at the time.
It was a Sunday evening and the pair had spent the day drinking vodka in a local park. Both were drunk when they chased their victim and knocked him to the ground.
The assault followed a "verbal exchange" as Mr Eccles left the store with his purchases and asked them to move on.
Gareth Evans QC, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Eccles, a factory worker and ardent Liverpool FC fan, was "punched and kicked and stamped upon" by the drunken pair.
He was left lying in the street with a burst eye socket, 10 broken ribs, a number of broken bones in his neck and massive facial injuries.
His head was "literally kicked in" after blows rained down on the front, back and both sides of his skull, Mr Evans said.
Reader views (3)
Complete low-lifes, its about time the parents of these ferral scum took some of the blame for the off-spring they have produced.
- David, London
We all no that Carl and Jordan have been charged with Murder for Michael they have Wrecked the Lives of Michael's Family and Friends.Everyone who Lives in Lichfield are still Shocked by the Murder of Michael he was a Lovely Man and wouldn't of hurt a fly always friendly and had a Smile on his face when ever you would see him.It's hard to belive that people you actually see every day and you know and Live by have done this to there own Friends Dad as well.People need to Rememeber that its not only Michael's Family that have been destroyed wrecked because of what both Carl and Jordan did to Michael but the Familys of Carl and Jordan have also been destroyed and wrecked and threats to kill made and yet they did not bring there Kids up to be a murderer and they also never took part.there Lives will never be the same again either because of this.God I would hate my Husband being Murdered and I would hate it if any Of my Kids murdered anyone but I would not stop Loveing them either and I would of Shouted out I Love you and so would of Family Memebers its there children and you don't stop Loving them no matter.That might not be what Michaels Family or anyone elses who was going through this would like to here but then don't you think that some people might also think how they would feel if it was the other way around? Michael and my Husband have been mates since kids we know all of the familys but we would not ever dream of treating them or ignoring them cuz of wot there kids done
- Lisa Lichfield, Lichfield Staffordshire
Oh dear - how can the family of the convicted be so callous as to shout out their 'love' in court. Maybe they need to feel what it is like to be kicked, punched and stamped upon - maybe then they wouldn't be so vocal in their support of such animals.
- Rob, london
