Sadistic murderers tied up housemate, cut off his ear, attacked him with bricks then set him alight in horror killing at Yorkshire house.

Jonathan Dews was subjected to a "brutal and sustained" attack which went on for hours at his home in Wakefield.

Scott Crutchley, Jordan Metcalfe and Nathan Redmond carried out the cocaine and booze-fuelled killing with "explosive violence" at the house on Brighton Street before trying to burn his body.

The killers then fled and caught a taxi to Scarborough.

They were arrested later that day as they tried to hide from police at the end of the pier.

Crutchley, Metcalfe and Redmond were today (February 20) found guilty of murdering Mr Dews after a four-week trial at Leeds Crown Court.

A judge described how the defendants had told "flabbergasting" lies during the trial as they tried to blame each other for the murder.

Mr Justice Jay told jurors after they had reached the guilty verdicts: "This has been a remarkable and dreadful case."

Jurors heard 42-year-old Mr Dews was repeatedly beaten in an attack which took place in two separate parts of the house.

There were over 90 injuries to his body.

He was struck about the face, head and body, suffering multiple injuries to his skull, facial bones and jaw.

Prosecutor Simon Kealey, QC, said the blows were likely to have involved a blunt object such as a house brick.

It resulted in a brain injury rendering him unconscious.

Mr Dews was stabbed about his head, neck and body.

Slash wounds included an attempt to cut his throat and part of his ear was cut off.

Multiple ribs were broken and his back and torso were stamped on which resulted in patterned footwear marks on his back.

The victim's hands were tied together and a boot lace was tied around his neck.

Attempts had been made to strangle him.

Mr Kealey told the jury: "Each of these defendants played a part in the killing by attacking Jonathan Dews themselves but also by assisting the others in the attack.

"Some of the attack was captured on CCTV from a camera opposite the property.

"All three defendants along with Jonathan Dews are shown repeatedly coming and going from his bedroom over several hours.

"At times it appears to show silhouettes of figures attacking someone and attempts to clear up afterwards."

"The defendants attacked Jonathan Dews together, they remained together for several hours and they fled together having lit a fire in the cellar where they left the badly beaten body."

The murder took place in the early hours of September 6 last year.

The court heard Mr Dews had only moved into the property a few weeks earlier.

He had an addiction to class A drugs and was prescribed methadone.

The terraced property on Brighton Street was run by a project for the homeless and provided support to vulnerable people.

Redmond and Metcalfe also lived at the property.

Crutchely rented a room nearby at the Black Swan Hotel, on Westgate, Wakefield.

The jury was told Metcalfe began taking advantage of Mr Dews by using his bank account to deposit money from an online fraud.

The day before the murder the defendants and Mr Dews had been drinking and taking cocaine together in pubs in Wakefield city centre.

Mr Kealey said the attack took place in the early hours of the morning after they returned to the flat.

Redmond made a video call to his former girlfriend during the incident and she noticed that he had blood on his knuckles.

Mr Dews was last seen on CCTV footage at 3.30am as he ran into his bedroom followed by the defendants.

Mr Kealey said: "A couple of minutes later, Nathan Redmond appeared to be trying to move or drag something.

"He then held Jonathan Dews and pulled him to the other side of the room."

Neighbours were woken up during the incident.

One described hearing noises which sounded as if someone was being thrown against a wall and the sound of someone being strangled or suffocated.

Mr Dews' body was left in the cellar and a fire was started by setting alight paper, text books and other materials.

The blaze did not develop fully and emergency services were contacted by neighbours when the fire alarm was activated.

Firefighters found Mr Dews' body using a thermal imaging tool.

He was declared dead by ambulance staff at 6.23am.

The three defendants made plans to leave Wakefield the same day.

They paid a taxi driver £100 to take them to Scarborough where police found them at 11.25pm.

Mr Kealey said: "Officers found them at the end of the pier, Nathan Redmond and Jordan Metcalfe on a pile of wooden sleepers, Scott Crutchley crouching down at the end of the sleepers."

The three men blamed each other for the murder when interviewed by police.

Redmond initially told detectives he was responsible for the killing.

He said he had bound and gagged Mr Dews then dragged him to the cellar where he slit his throat with a razor blade and threw a bucket of house bricks at his head.

Redmond then changed his account in a second interview.

He denied responsibility for the murder and blamed his co-accused.

Redmond claimed Metcalfe used a spoon to inflict injuries to Mr Dews' throat as he "wasn't dying quickly enough."

The three defendants will be sentenced tomorrow (February 21) at 10.30am.