A PAIR of murderers are facing life sentences for torturing a convicted rapist to death.

Alan Lee Street, 26, of Oswaldtwistle, was killed in a house in Stockbridge Road, Padiham, in the early hours of Saturday, December 20.

Street, who was ‘very drunk and not in a position to defend himself’ was attacked with bottles, a wooden pole and scissors.

Bags were placed over his head. Police said the levels of violence were ‘beyond belief’.

Mr Street’s body was later found dumped in a culvert in Accrington.

Yesterday, one man was found guilty of murder, one guilty of manslaughter and a third man cleared after a five week trial.

After little more than five hours of deliberation the jury at Preston Crown Court returned unanimous verdicts on all three defendants.

Peter Leonard, 52, of Trinity Street, Oswaldtwistle, was found guilty of murder, Kieron Davidson, 21, of Lancaster Drive, Padiham, was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter.

Allan Palmer, 44, of Stockbridge Road, Padiham had already pleaded guilty to murder.

Ian Palmer, 45, of Whitegate Close, Padiham, was cleared of murder and manslaughter and left the court a free man.

Sentencing for Leonard, Davidson and Allan Palmer will take place in four weeks time.

The recorder of Preston, Judge Anthony Russell QC, said life sentences would follow for Palmer and Leonard and that an indeterminate sentence was a consideration for Davidson.

As the jury foreman announced Leonard's guilty verdict, friends and family fled from the public gallery in tears.

There were gasps of 'yes' from the family of Alan Lee Street, and his mum sat sobbing silently as the rest of the verdicts were announced.

After the case Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, who led the major investigation, said it had been a very difficult inquiry.

He said: “At the beginning we had no body which brings with it its own challenges and we were also searching for Allan Palmer and Peter Leonard who had both gone on the run and an old fashioned traditional manhunt was put in place to trace them.

“There was no doubt in my mind when I first saw the scene that a most horrific crime had taken place at Stockbridge Road and that we were dealing with some extremely dangerous, ruthless and violent criminals.

“The fact that they took advantage of a man who was very intoxicated and not in a position to defend himself was also an extremely cowardly act.”

Mr Hunter said the ‘exact circumstances’ of the attack would never be known.

He said: “It is clear that he was lured to the property by Alan Palmer with the specific intention of inflicting a brutal and savage beating born out of revenge.

“The levels of violence used in this sustained and prolonged attacked were beyond belief.

“The callous actions of the offenders clearly showed no respect for human life by bundling the victim into a car, which they drove around for two days looking for a place to bury the body, and then dumping it in a culvert, which was in effect a freezing tomb at that time of year, was an act that is simply deplorable.”

Mr Hunter thanked the Crown Prosecution Service and added: “I hope the family and friends of Alan can find some sort of closure and that they can, in some small way, move on with their lives.”

After the verdict, Preston Crown Court heard Leonard had a 'very long' criminal record for burglary, violence and driving offences, starting in 1969. Judge Russell said he had 'a number of sentences for sporadic violence and dishonesty'.

Davidson also had a long record of community orders and was on an electronic tag for theft at the time of the killing.

He had convictions for battery, shoplifting and threatening behaviour dating back seven years, and he had history of breaching his orders.

PETER Leonard was said to have the greatest motivation to kill Alan Street.

His ex-girlfriend, Jayne Procter, was living with Mr Street and they had ‘previous history’.

Ms Procter lived with Mr Street at her home in Cherry Crescent, Oswaldtwistle, but he moved out a few weeks before his death after an argument.

In a fight at the Golden Cross pub, Oswaldtwistle, in February 2007, Leonard, came off second best and was left with a broken jaw and – the prosecution said – revenge on the mind.

His chance came in the early hours of Saturday, December 20 when a slurred, scared message from his pal Allan Palmer woke his partner, who managed to raise Leonard from a drunken stupor.

The message, played in court, was along the lines of “Mad, mad Friday. Come back home. I’ve got Alan Street in my house” and telling him he needed to urgently ring back if he wanted to ‘sort’ it.

It is hoped the alcohol in Alan Street’s bloodstream acted as a painkiller to his horrific final hours.

Tests showed he would have been at least three times over the drink-drive limit as he slept in an armchair at 29 Stockbridge Road.

Who, between Allan Palmer and Peter Leonard, actually struck which of the devastating blows is not known.

Whatever the truth, Mr Street didn’t stand a chance of surviving.

Det Supt Neil Hunter was present at the post mortem examination. He said part of Mr Street’s cheekbone had collapsed and was floating free of his face. He suffered a nasty cut above his left eye and a deep wound to his nose.

Det Supt Hunter said: “Of the weapons, a wooden pole which we believe was the parrot’s perch, was smashed on his head, the force of which snapped it.

“Also some scissors were used to stab him about head. You can’t ignore the fact there was torture involved. Certainly bags were placed over his head.”