THE best friend of former Nelson sailor Russell Ward was sentenced to life imprisonment after a jury at Winchester Crown Court found him guilty of murder.

James McCann, 35, caused Mr Ward a list of horrific injuries including a three centimetre cut to his lip, major bruising to his jaw and left testicle, a bruised ankle and stomach and brain injury.

Mr Ward, who has two young children in Portsmouth, was found dead on the floor of McCann's home in March last year.

The court heard how McCann repeatedly handed out fierce beatings to pal Russell Ward after he turned his back on a plan to move to Lancashire together.

A post-mortem revealed the former sailor's injuries had triggered deep vein thrombosis, which led to a blood clot on his lung, killing him instantly. A jury was told by McCann's wife Samantha how she had watched him beat Mr Ward for three weeks at their flat in Cressy Road, Buckland, Portsmouth.

The court also heard he had also beaten her badly and forced her to lie to police about the death.

It was not until McCann confessed to his brother that Mr Ward had died in the house that police officers were called to the scene and McCann was arrested.

A judge heard he turned on his former friend, whom he had taken into his home, after Mr Ward turned down the chance to move north.

All three had been planning to move to a council house in the county but Mr Ward got cold feet.

As McCann was led sobbing from the dock he told the judge "big deal" and shouted "I didn't do it".

He told Mr Ward's wife: "You have to live with this."

Judge Michael Brodrick said: "I have no choice but to impose a life sentence. You subjected Mr Ward to a brutal attack. He suffered ill-treatment and continued physical and mental abuse."

Mr Ward was born in Mancknolls Street, Nelson, and was the youngest child in a family of four brothers and one sister.

As a youngster he went to Wheatley Lane Methodist School, Walter Street School, in Brierfield, before moving on to Moorlands High School, in Clitheroe.

In 1990 he joined the Royal Navy as a chef and moved to Portsmouth. On leaving the Navy he worked for the Post Office in Portsmouth.

He married a woman from Portsmouth in 1995 who he had two children with before later splitting up with her.

When he died his children had been living with him.

Mr Ward's sister Christine Ryan still Lives in Walton Lane, Nelson, but she had not seen her brother for some time before his death due to an argument.