Murderers jailed for life after 'brutal attack'

Laimonas Prascevicius and Rimantas Vystartas were jailed for life

Two men have been jailed for life for beating a man to death in a home they shared.

The body of Andrej Minin was found by emergency services at about 05:20 GMT on 5 November in Fir Street, Nelson, Lancashire Police said.

Following a three-week trial at Preston Crown Court, Laimonas Prascevicius and Rimantas Vystartas were found guilty of murdering the 53-year-old.

The judge, Mr Justice Lavender, ordered both men to serve at least 19 years.

'Brutal and cowardly attack'

Mr Minin was "severely beaten, kicked and stamped on and then dragged to the bottom of the stairs in an attempt to cover up his murder", police said.

A post-mortem examination found he died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

The distribution of blood belonging to Andrej found on the trousers of Prascevicius and Vystartas showed that they were responsible for the fatal assault.

Prascevicius and Vystartas denied any responsibility or involvement in Mr Minin's death, but the distribution of blood found on their trousers "showed that they were responsible for the fatal assault", police said.

Their denials were rejected by the jury.

Prascevicius and Vystartas, both 54 and from Nelson, were each sentenced to life imprisonment.

Det Ch Insp Tracey McMurdo said: “This was a brutal and cowardly attack committed against a vulnerable man in his own home.

“Rather than seek help for a man they once called a friend, Prascevicius and Vystartas instead sought to cover their tracks by moving his body.

“I want to thank the jury for their considered verdicts and hope these verdicts give Andrej’s loved ones some sense of closure.”

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