A pair of young Perth men face a future behind bars after being found guilty of a “brutal and sickening” murder.
William Reid sustained more than 80 separate injuries, including massive head wounds, at the hands of Taylor Gordon and Drew Paterson.
They claimed they had found him in their flat after he climbed in through a window and had beaten him up as revenge.
During a horrifying assault, they subjected him to a flurry of blows, punches, kicks and stamps, as well as beating him with golf clubs, a vacuum cleaner and a television.
After Mr Reid, 27, lost consciousness they dragged him into a car, before leaving him to die in freezing conditions in Perth’s North Muirton area in December last year.
Gordon, 19, and 25-year-old Paterson had denied murdering their victim but at the end of a 10-day trial at the High Court in Perth, jurors took just two hours to find them guilty.
A unanimous verdict was delivered against Paterson, while a majority verdict was enough to convict Gordon of the same crime.
Lady Clark told the pair: “There is only one sentence that can be imposed in this case. The jury has found you guilty of a matter which is very serious.”
They now face life sentences, with Lady Clark’s decision to be announced at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 27.
During the case, jurors heard evidence from witnesses Alexander Paterson and Chelsea Taylor of phone calls made by Drew Paterson, in which he admitted being involved in Mr Reid’s death.
In these calls, the accused described the murder scene as being like “something from Scarface”.
The pair also joked about completing ultra-violent X-Box game Hitman shortly after dumping their victim’s body at the Jeanfield Swifts football ground.
Expert witness Dr David Sadler, a forensic pathologist at Dundee University, carried out the post-mortem examination on the victim.
He revealed that Mr Reid died from hypothermia and injuries occurring from multiple blows, many of which were consistent with having a television dropped on him and being hit with a golf club.
Dr Sadler told the court: “There were numerous bruises, lacerations and grazes, particularly concentrated around the head, which suggested a series of blows, punches, kicks, stamps and impacts with blunt weapons.
“There was extensive bruising along the penis and to the scrotum. This is a result of blows to the genital area.
“A golf club, with its bulbous head, is a good candidate for this type of injury.”
Part of the sickening attack was filmed on a mobile phone and, during police interviews, Paterson claimed the device belonged to notorious serial killer Peter Tobin.
Gordon, described as a prisoner at Polmont Young Offenders’ Institution, and Paterson, described as a prisoner at Edinburgh, had denied murdering Mr Reid at their Inchaffray Street flat on December 7 and 8 last year.
They were found guilty of struggling with him, repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and body, dragging him through the property into a bath, before repeatedly stamping on his head and body.
They were also found guilty of striking Mr Reid with a golf club, vacuum cleaner and a television, before placing him in a car and dumping him in freezing conditions at the multi pitches on Bute Drive, murdering him.