TWO men were jailed for ten years yesterday over the killing of a homeless drug addict.

Judge Mr Justice Keith told Steven Small and Brian Lancaster, both 33, that they had carried out two cowardly attacks on Robert Parkin, known as Swampy, whose body was found in a flat in Stockton.

Small and Lancaster were on trial for murder at Teesside Crown Court in a case which lasted a fortnight.

Yesterday, they were found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, and were also convicted of causing him grievous bodily harm with intent four days before his death.

The prosecution said that the second attack on Mr Parkin, 29, would not have killed a healthy man of his age, but years of drug-taking had taken its toll on his heart, lungs, liver and brain.

He died after the pair's second attack, which took place in a flat in Shaftesbury Street, Stockton, on May 8. His jaw and cheekbone were both broken in three places.

The jury took nine hours to reach their verdicts on Small, from Holborn Park, Stockton, and Lancaster, originally from Hartlepool, but of no fixed address. Both had numerous convictions including ones for violence.

Passing sentence, Judge Keith said: "Robert Parkin's physical condition and his pathetic appearance made him vulnerable to attack by bullies like the two of you.

"Your vicious attacks on him were, therefore, particularly cowardly. The prosecution says that you had it in for him because he had some crack cocaine from you and had used it himself instead of selling it.

"It goes without saying that your crimes call for long sentences of imprisonment."

The pair were jailed for five years consecutively for each offence, and Lancaster was given another 14 months in prison, left over from a previous sentence for firearms offences.

Chief Superintendent Mark Braithwaite, of Cleveland Police, said: "They had no regard for Robert whatsoever, and to do what they did to him, in the state he was in, was thuggery in the extreme."

He also paid tribute to Mr Parkin's parents and family who, he said, had faced the ordeal with great dignity.