A horror film fanatic who killed his friend in a scene which mirrored one of his favourite spine-chillers has been jailed for life.
Gary George, 41, will serve a minimum of 30 years after he tortured and mutilated Andrew Nall, 53, in a “cruel and sadistic” attack.
George was obsessed with witchcraft and horror films, Chester Crown Court was told.
He “particularly” liked to watch The Loved Ones, a 2009 Australian film in which an attack takes place with “chilling similarity” to the death of Mr Nall, the court heard.
George beat his victim and inflicted 49 separate knife wounds, including a wound carved into his stomach which had salt poured onto it.
There was also a “creamy substance”, thought to be cleaning fluid, found in Mr Nall’s eyes, the prosecution said.
His body was discovered lying in a pool of blood in his bedroom at his flat in Liverpool Road, Chester, on August 30 last year.
After the killing George, a homeless alcoholic, went into an off-licence where he told the shop assistant: “I’ve just killed my best mate.”
He initially denied the murder but changed his plea to guilty last week as his three-week trial was coming to a close.
Passing sentence, the Recorder of Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards, said: “This was a cruel and vicious attack.
“It was also a sadistic attack. I am satisfied that in behaving in the way you did, you were aping the conduct in a film of which you were obsessed, namely The Loved Ones.”
The judge said he and the jury had had “the misfortune” of watching the movie’s murder sequence during the trial and added: “I regret to say that, as in this film, you committed many acts while the unfortunate Mr Nall was still alive.
“And that included the substance in his eyes, be that cleaning fluid, and the carving of marks upon his chest.”
George, wearing a navy blue jumper, stood bolt upright in the dock with his arms behind his back and flanked by two custody officers. He showed no emotion as his sentence was passed.
The Recorder described Mr Nall, also an alcoholic, as “vulnerable”.
He added: “He was vulnerable because of the amount of drink he had taken.
“You knew he had, you took advantage of it and, putting it in a nutshell, he was no match for you. You killed him in a most cruel and sadistic way and you enjoyed doing so.”