MICHAEL STEVENSON

After a distinguished career in the Army, 89-year-old widower Harry Lindley deserved to live out the rest of his days in peace - instead he was beaten to death with his own walking stick for just £50!

Mr Lindley, a captain in the Green Howards regiment, was tricked into letting a crack addict into his home to use the telephone.

Once inside, Michael Stevenson, 21, punched, kicked and stamped on the frail pensioner as he lay helpless on the floor.

Such was the ferocity of the attack that Stevenson left bruises on the ex-Army captain's head in the shape of his trainer.

He then picked up Mr Lindley's walking stick and reined blows down on the bloodied pensioner.

He then stole his wallet, calmly walked over to the telephone and made two calls - one to his dealer and another for a taxi.

Today, he was jailed for life after a jury spent just 60 minutes deliberating before finding him guilty of Mr Lindley's murder.

Showing no signs of remorse he stood expressionless in the dock as Mr Justice Walker jailed him for a minimum of 20 years.

He described the killing of Mr Lindley, a father of two, as 'a merciless and savage attack' on an elderly, frail and defenceless man.

Tonight, Mr Lindley's daughter, Sheila Davey, said: 'No sentence can ever compensate for our devastating loss.

'My dad was a fine, upstanding man who lived by his values and was a great example.

'He enjoyed life, and was independent, honest and a true gentleman. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather who is sorely missed.'

It was in April last year that Mr Lindley answered the door to Stevenson who told him that he needed to use the phone and borrow cash to see his pregnant girlfriend in hospital.

It was a trick Stevenson had used before to gain access to the homes of unsuspecting elderly residents.

Wanting to help, Mr Lindley - who saw service in India, Egypt and Africa - allowed the thug into his home in Newcastle.

Within minutes he had been knocked to the ground.

During the attack Stevenson pushed Mr Lindley's head into a wall so hard it left a hole in the plaster, stamped on his head at least three times and kicked and stamped on his throat.

As his victim lay motionless on the hallway floor Stevenson stole £50 from Mr Lindley's purse before calling his drug dealer and a taxi. He then walked passed his victim and out of the door.

Unable to move and bleeding to death Mr Lindley remained in the hallway overnight until his carer found him the next day - his pyjama bottoms pulled down and his false teeth knocked from his mouth.

When paramedics asked him what had happened he said: 'Somebody came for something. A young man, he wanted something for the girl.'

Mr Lindley, who was recovering from a stroke, died 26 days later in hospital.

In all he suffered injuries to 15 parts of his body, including severe bruising to both sides of his skull, lacerations on his scalp and the removal of skin from his eyelid.

The pensioner also had injuries on his arms, internal bleeding around his brain and damage to his larynx, indicating he had been strangled by his attacker.

Newcastle Crown Court was told that Stevenson's fingerprints were found inside Mr Lindley's home and Mr Lindley's blood was found on his trainers.

The pattern on the sole of the training shoe also matched the bruising to Mr Lindley's head.

Stevenson, of Walker, Newcastle, denied murder but changed his story throughout as new evidence came to light.

Mr Lindley, a keen ballroom dancer in his early years and golfer, retired from the Army in 1949 as an honorary major and opened a plumbers' merchants in Gosforth.

He worked until the age of 70.

He left the North East on retirement and lived in Spain for 10 years but returned when his wife Evelyn was in poor health, caring for her until she died in 2004.

Outside court DCI Paul Young said: 'Mr Lindley served in the Army for his country and for him to suffer a death such as this at the hands of a thug like Stevenson is sickening.' (Michael Stevenson)

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