Murderer told neighbour 'I think I killed Vinny'

Lee Francis Burns has been jailed for life after murdering his supposed friend Vincent McDonagh

A man has been jailed for life for the brutal murder of his friend after a night out.

Lee Francis Burns, 38, from Oldham, had been out drinking and playing pool with Vincent McDonagh, 45, before an argument turned physical.

Burns launched a sustained attack on Mr McDonagh, leaving him for dead and even telling his neighbour, "I think I’ve killed Vinny, I’ve stamped on his head".

In a hearing held at Manchester Crown Court earlier, he was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years and 164 days.

Serious head injury

The court heard that Burns, of Worsley Street, had murdered his friend on Thursday 9 November 2023.

Burns had borrowed £20 from Mr McDonagh to buy some drinks, but they had a row about half an hour into their pub visit.

This ended in a handshake and they were described as being in good spirits when they left the pub at about 22:50 GMT.

CCTV showed them walking home, but another row broke out and this time, it turned violent.

Burns punched Mr McDonagh in the arm, causing him to slip and end up on the floor.

Mr McDonagh tried to defend himself by using his leg as a shield, but Burns continued punching him and stamping on his head, even when he was unconscious.

Police were called but Mr McDonagh had sustained a serious head injury and he died a short time later, despite the efforts of emergency services.

Burns was identified by the CCTV footage and arrested on suspicion of murder less than six hours later.

He maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming he was acting in self-defence.

'Huge void'

Detective Inspector Paul Davies from Greater Manchester Police's Serious Crime Division said he wanted to convey his deepest condolences to Mr McDonagh’s fiancée Demi and their son Frankie.

His death would "undoubtedly leave a huge void in their family", he added.

He said police would continue to support Mr McDonagh’s family in every way they could and he hoped today’s result could "go some way to providing closure for them".