A killer who stamped on a helpless man’s head and

A killer who stamped on a helpless man’s head and then literally rubbed salt into his wounds was jailed for life today at the Old Bailey.

(THURS)

Stephen Jones, 38, together with lovers Timothy Cronin, 30, and Tina Fowler, 33, battered their victim beyond recognition.

They then emptied a salt cellar over his wounds.

Terrence Phair, 48, who had offered two of the gang shelter when they had nowhere to go, repaid his hospitality by slaughtering him in a ‘sadistic torture session’ at his southeast London home.

Cronin admitted killing the man and will be sentenced later while his girlfriend escaped justice when she committed suicide seven months ago.

Jones, who stood trial alone at the Old Bailey, was found guilty of murder after denying the charge.

Looked shocked at the 10-2 majority verdict, Jones flicked a V-sign at Mr Phair’s grieving relatives in the public gallery and gave a thumbs-up to his pals.

Passing the mandatory life sentence, the Recorder of London, Michael Hyam said: ‘You were involved in an attack on a man in his own home and there is no doubt upon the evidence which was adduced in court this man was given a terrible beating.

‘On your own admission you delivered at least four or five kicks but in my judgement there is little doubt you were party to many more kicks.

‘The result of those kicks was to render that man helpless and over a period of between two and four hours he died.

‘

Fowler and Cronin met their victim in an alcohol rehab centre in Beckenham and stayed in touch after they left.

Mr Phair eventually invited the couple to move in to his flat in (3) Burchell Road, Peckham.

On the day of the killing, February 8 this year, the three friends met up for an all-day cider and lager drinking session at Jones’ home in Carlton Grove, Peckham.

At the flat Fowler attacked Jones’ housemate, Geoffrey Boynton, hospitalising him for five days in a chilling foretaste of what was to come.

Prosecutor Mr Mark Dennis said: ‘They had drunk a great deal and the conversation turned to Mr Boynton’s late wife.

‘Fowler attacked him, thinking he had been involved in her death.

‘

Bloodied and battered Mr Boynton eventually fled to an off-licence where he called for an ambulance.

‘The incident was a fore-shadowing of something that was to come later that evening,’ the prosecutor added.

The trio then went to Mr Phair’s home to carry on their session and to kill the victim.

Mr Dennis said: ‘This was a prolonged and violent attack with blows directed to his face and head, the most serious of which included stamping on his head.

‘His face was left unrecognisable and in a final gesture of contempt to the hapless victim, salt poured over his wounds.

‘Mr Phair was obviously overwhelmed by the attack and was unable to defend himself or escape from the flat.

‘

After the attack Jones, originally from Oldham, rang the police from a call box to confess to the earlier attack on Mr Boynton.

‘He pretended to be Mr Boynton saying it was Stephen Jones (himself) who attacked him,’ said Mr Dennis.

‘Naming himself was an attempt in his drunken thinking to distance himself from what had just occurred a little earlier.

‘He was trying to create some form of excuse or alibi.

‘

Jones, known by the nickname Manchester Steve, then begged passers-by to help him with Mr Phair.

He stopped one woman shouting, ‘Quick, help, some one has battered my mate.

‘

When the woman went to help in Mr Phair’s bloodied flat, ‘she encountered a terrible scene,’ said Mr Dennis.

Fowler and Cronin were bloodstained, loud, unsteady on their feet, excitable and hysterical.

Fowler was trying to resuscitate the victim by giving him heart massage.

‘Their drunken condition may explain their violent conduct but will not excuse it,’ Mr Dennis.

Mr Phair was in a coma for four hours before he died.

Jones told police he nothing to do with the savage killing.

But in court he changed his story and confessed that he flew into a rage and attacked Mr Phair.

He said: ‘I stamped on his head about five times, but I did not kill that man.

‘

Demonstrating his actions to the jury: ‘They weren’t big stamps, they were only little.

‘

Jones, who also has a drink problem, was staying with his friend, Mr Boynton, in nearby (82) Carlton Grove.

Cronin denied murder but pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and will be sentenced later.

ends