Man was beaten with bricks, stabbed and set alight by three friends

Jordan Metcalfe, Nathan Redmond, and Scott Crutchle subjected Jonathan Dews to two-and-a-half hours of ‘brutal, vicious, explosive, mindless violence’.

Three men have been jailed for a minimum of 75 years for the horrific murder of a friend whose tortured, battered body was then torched in what a senior judge called a ‘massacre scene’.

Jordan Metcalfe, 24, Nathan Redmond, 21, and Scott Crutchle, 24, subjected Jonathan Dews to two-and-a-half hours of ‘brutal, vicious, explosive, mindless violence’.

The victim was slashed, stabbed, pounded with house bricks and had part of his ear hacked off before his body was set on fire in a heartless bid to conceal the crime.

Neighbours at the house in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, heard Mr Dews’ terrified screams for a ‘considerable period of time’ during the killing in the early hours of September 6 last year.

After the attack the men caught a taxi to Scarborough where they were arrested later that day following a failed attempt to hide from police at the end of a pier.

They were all handed life sentences at Leeds Crown Court after being convicted of murder following a four-week trial.

Metcalfe and Redmond will serve minimum terms of 27 years, while Crutchley must serve at least 21 years behind bars before being considered for parole.

Sentencing the trio, Mr Justice Jay said: ‘This was brutal, vicious, explosive, mindless violence.’

The judge described the room where Mr Dews’ was killed as resembling a ‘massacre scene’.

He added: ‘This was a protracted, terrifying death which has left the court emotionally numb. Even after four weeks of this trial, I still do not understand what triggered it.’

The court heard how Mr Dews had only just moved into the terraced property, which was run by a project for the homeless, a few weeks earlier.

Redmond and Metcalfe also lived at the property, while Crutchley rented a room at a nearby hotel.

The day before the murder, the trio and Mr Dews had been boozing and taking cocaine in pubs around Wakefield city centre.

When they got back, Mr Dews was attacked in his bedroom and dragged into the landing.

Jurors were told Mr Dews was then battered during the course of a prolonged attack which took place in two separate parts of the house.

He was left with more than 90 different injuries, including fractures to his skull, facial bones and jaw after having bricks thrown at him.

Among the numerous knife wounds were appalling attempts to cut Mr Dews’ throat and part of his ear.

He also suffered a number of broken ribs due to the force of the assault, with the trio stamping so hard on his back detectives could see the patterns of their trainers in his flesh.

Mr Dews’ family said in a statement after the case: ‘Jonathan was a kind, caring person who would do anything for anyone, a quality that we all admired.’

It continued: ‘Words cannot describe the torment of losing him in such horrific, brutal circumstances. The pain and suffering he endured throughout that night will haunt us forever.

‘The trial has been harrowing for us, an ordeal that no family should ever have to go through.’

Detective Superintendent Nicola Bryar said: ‘Jonathan Dews was subjected to a horrific and sustained attack, by people he thought were his friends and he could trust.

‘All three men attempted to cover their tracks and all lied and blamed each other for the killing.

‘They tried to destroy evidence by setting fire to the property and tried to evade justice by fleeing to Scarborough.

‘They have shown no remorse for their actions and continued to lie throughout the court case.’