THREE men from St Albans, two of them brothers, accused of beating a friend to death and dumping his body in a muddy layby, were today found guilty of murder and jailed for a total of at least 51 years.

Anthony Cross, 31, of Green Lane, formerly Longlands, Hemel Hempstead, his brother Joseph, 27, of Newgate Close, Jersey Farm, and their friend Michael Taylor, 27, of Bricket Road, but who lived with Joe at the time, all denied murdering Mohim Miah, 29, of The Broadway, Herne Bay, Kent, on 18 November last year.

But after three days deliberating the jury at Chelmsford Crown Court convicted all three of murder and they were each jailed for life.

Judge Christopher Ball QC said Anthony, who he described as the most culpable, would have to serve a minimum of 19 years before he would be eligible for parole. He gave Joseph a minimum term of 17 years and Taylor 15 years. They will not automatically be released after they have served that time though. They will have to convince a parole board to free them.

The five-week trial heard that Mohim, who had returned to his home town of St Albans to visit, was savagely beaten up in Joe’s flat after a day of drinking and taking crack cocaine. His bloodied and bruised body, with 36 separate injuries, was taken to Ferrers Lane, Nomansland, Wheathampstead and dumped while it was still warm.

Sentencing them, Judge Ball called it a “savage multi-handed attack” on a man made defenceless through drink and drugs.

Full story in next week’s Herts Advertiser.