Teenagers convicted of holiday isle killing

The boys, aged 14 and 16 at the time, now face a maximum sentence of eight years, although they could be released after serving just over three years in a young offenders’ institution.

A Spanish court heard Mr Cockshutt, 71, was the victim of a bungled burglary at his holiday villa in Costa Del Silencio in February last year.

Evidence showed the South American teenagers held down Mr Cockshutt, of Brandesburton, near Hornsea, before stabbing him with a knife and a screwdriver, twice in the chest and once in the leg.

Mr Cockshutt’s daughter Anne Cole, 44, believes the boys will offend again once they are released.

She said: “These children look like thugs and they are thugs. They lied and showed no remorse. They were given the chance to speak but they hardly said a word. Even now, we don’t exactly know why they did it.

“I have no qualms in saying they will do something like this again. Even our lawyer believes they will.

“It is sad to think another family could suffer in the way we have.”

The judge will take up to two weeks to decide what sentence to hand out, but the boys are expected to be given the maximum term of eight years in a young offenders’ institution.

However, with 18 months already served on remand and with three of the eight years on licence, they could be free within three and a half years.

They were charged with Mr Cockshutt’s murder just days after the robbery. Although they admitted killing him, they were convicted of murder after a two-day trial at Palacia de Justicia in Santa Cruz – on Mrs Cockshutt’s 72nd birthday.

Mr Cockshutt’s family faced the killers for the first time during this week’s trial.

His wife Patricia said she cannot forgive his killers after they showed little sign of remorse.

“It was the first time we had set eyes on them,” she said. “The older one apologised but the younger one said only one word in Spanish. I don’t know if it was sorry or not.

“We didn’t see them show any remorse during the trial. It’s hard to describe how I feel. It seemed like it had all just been a story until I saw those who killed Peter.

“I feel very angry and there is no way I can forgive them, even more so now.”

She added: “We heard that they decided beforehand to break in somewhere using MSN (instant messaging). They even took pictures of their mates on the camera they stole from Peter.”

Mrs Cole said: “The two days in court were very long and it was an emotional time. But we have suffered for much longer than that.

“I have not been back to work at British Airways for over a year. I have been trying to deal with the lawyers and also looking after my dad’s distribution business. I have spent much of my time away from my family.”

Mr Cockshutt, a retired electrician, lived in Hull with his wife and five children for most of his life and moved to Brandesburton two years ago. The couple began spending six months of the year in Tenerife after his retirement and celebrated their golden wedding four years ago with a world cruise.