Man guilty of murdering train passenger with horseshoe in Reading

Thomas Parker and his brother became involved in an argument about music being played on the train

A man who killed a fellow passenger with a horseshoe after a row about music being played on their train has been found guilty of murder.

Kirkpatrick Virgo attacked Thomas Parker, 24, on a platform at Reading station after the journey on 30 July.

It followed an argument between the pair after one of Virgo's friends was told to turn the music down.

Virgo, 42, from Slough, had previously admitted manslaughter and carrying an offensive weapon but denied murder.

Kirkpatrick Virgo told Reading Crown Court he bought the horseshoe as a "lucky charm"

During a trial at Reading Crown Court, the jury heard the row started at about 23:00 BST when Mr Parker's brother Craig, 27, asked for the volume of the music to be lowered.

The two groups shouted at each other before the altercation was ended by off-duty police officers.

Virgo then followed the Parker brothers after the train arrived at Reading station, the jury was told.

Craig Parker told the court he went to be sick behind a pillar after feeling ill from a McDonald's milkshake he had consumed during the journey.

"Once I vomited I felt Tom looking over me, making sure I was all right," he said, adding: "Then it happened, so quickly, Tom was on the floor in front of me."

Virgo followed the group before removing the horseshoe from his rucksack

The court heard Virgo had followed the group, removing a heavy horseshoe from his rucksack, which he then used to hit Thomas Parker in the head.

Virgo told jurors he bought the horseshoe as a "lucky charm" from an antiques shop and was carrying it because he had not got round to hanging it on a door.

He claimed he was spat at and racially abused by Thomas Parker who he feared was going to attack him.

British Transport Police (BTP) said the victim had been on his way home from a match between Arsenal and Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium in London.

'Die tonight'

CCTV footage showed Virgo and two friends boarding the same train at Slough carrying a boom box and accounts taken from witnesses stated they were playing loud music, the force said in a statement.

During the argument, passengers heard Virgo remark: "Do you want to die tonight?"

Following the attack, Craig Parker chased Virgo through the station, catching him on the concourse and tackling him to the floor in a "bear hug" before rail staff intervened and alerted emergency services.

After Virgo was detained, Mr Parker said he heard someone tell him: "You best come down now."

He returned to find his brother surrounded by paramedics. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 00:40 BST.

Thomas Parker, a golf greenkeeper, was described by his family as "loving and funny",

Speaking after the verdict, Det Ch Insp Paul Langley, from BTP, said Mr Parker was a young man with his whole life ahead of him.

"But that life was taken away by an extremely violent individual who fatally struck him following a disagreement," he said.

"Thanks to a single shocking act of violence by Kirkpatrick Virgo, Tom's family now face the rest of their lives without their brother, son and friend."

Virgo will be sentenced at the same court on Friday.