A MAN who beat his "best friend" to death after finding him in bed with a woman has been found guilty of murder.

David Hesketh, 48, flew into a rage at victim John Baxendale's Great Lever, flat and repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on him until he died.

 Hesketh admitted the manslaughter of Mr Baxendale, claiming he had lost control and did not mean to kill the man who he described as his "best friend", but denied intending to kill him.

But, following a nine day trial at Minshull Street Crown Court, it took a jury of seven men and five women just over three hours to unanimously find him guilty of murder.

There were gasps and sobs from the public gallery as the verdict was given. The jury also found Hesketh guilty of battery and intentionally causing grievous bodily harm but he was cleared of two counts of raping a woman.

The court had heard how 32-year-old victim Mr Baxendale had been homeless and regularly invited other homeless people to his flat in Aldersyde Street, Great Lever.

One of his friends was David Hesketh and on September 14 last year he and two others were with Mr Baxendale at the flat drinking large amounts of alcohol.

The jury was told how Hesketh, who lived in a tent at Tonge Fold Cemetery, and his friend John Ormston left to go drinking in Bolton town centre.  They returned at 5.45pm and found Mr Baxendale in bed with a woman.

Hesketh attacked them both, but was most violent towards Mr Baxendale, punching him in the face. When the victim fell to the floor, he continued punching, kicking and stamping on his head.

Mr Baxendale did not say anything and did not fight back. Instead he curled himself in a ball on the floor in a corner of the bedroom where paramedics were to find him body just before 7.30pm.

A post mortem revealed Mr Baxendale had suffered 70 injuries, including a fractured skull and ribs and bleeding on the brain.

Hesketh did not seek any medical help for his "friend" but rang his daughter, Rachel Edge to pick him up from the flat.

But when he got not reply from her he decided to get a taxi to her home. He claimed that, at that point, he did not know that Mr Baxendale was dead.

Mr Ormston rang for an ambulance but it was too late and paramedics could only report the death to police.

Hesketh met up with his daughter who tried to contact police, but when she was unable to reach them, she asked a friend to drive them back to Aldersyde Street at 10pm.

Officers at the scene arrested Hesketh for murder.

In court, Hesketh, dressed in jeans and a grey sweatshirt, stood in the dock as the verdicts were delivered.

After thanking the jury, the judge, Mr Justice Dove, adjourned the case for sentencing to take place next month.

Before Hesketh was led away to prison, the judge told him: "Sentence will be passed on you by me on April 18 and you will be placed on remand until that date. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," replied Hesketh.