A BASINGSTOKE man is facing a life sentence of after being convicted of the brutal murder of a “Gentle Giant” who took him into his home.

Stuart Hodgkin was offered a place to stay by kind hearted victim Adrian Munday but exploited his vulnerability and took control of his life.

Hodgkin spent all of Adrian's money on drink and drugs but when it ran out he battered and kicked him to death and lit a fire on top of his body in an attempt to cover up the killing.

He left Adrian's home in Wain Lane, Newton Abbot, in the middle of the night with the fire still burning and was eventually arrested in Winchester.

Hodgkin is now suffering from incurable terminal cancer and Exeter Crown Court was told he is certain to die in prison.

Adrian, aged 51, suffered brain damage as a child and had a learning disability. He was known by friends as a gentle giant.

His family had battled throughout his life to ensure he got the care he needed and he had only started to live independently four months before the killing.

He met Hodgkin by chance when the unemployed drifter was living rough in a tent on Newton Abbot racecourse after being thrown out of a homeless shelter in Totnes the previous week.

He was penniless after being refused money at a Jobcentre and met Adrian on a train in September last year. He persuaded him to let him stay at his home but immediately began to exploit his vulnerability.

Hodgkin kicked Adrian out of his own bed and made him sleep on a sofa and took him to cash machines to withdraw money which he was forced to hand over. He told a friend Adrian was 'a bottomless pit'.

Adrian was normally frugal with money but in just two weeks Hodgkin emptied his account of well over £1,000. He bullied him into borrowing money from his family and selling property, including a collection of coins.

Hodgkin killed Adrian on the night of October 3 last year when his family became suspicious about where all the money had gone and his mother told him she was going to come round and investigate.

Adrian was battered and kicked to death in an exceptionally violent attack in which he suffered severe head injuries and 20 broken ribs.

Once police realised the fire was deliberate and Adrian had been murdered, they traced Hodgkin to a house where he was staying in Winchester and built up an overwhelming case against him.

They found CCTV of him walking through Newton Abbot after he fled and fingerprint and DNA evidence which showed he had poured the two cans of Zippo lighter fluid over the body.

Adrian's blood was found on his shoes and on a leaflet which carried Hodgkin's fingerprints and had been partially burned in the fire.

Hodgkin, aged 40, from Basingstoke, who was arrested at Stockbridge Road, Winchester, denied murder but was found guilty by a jury at Exeter Crown Court.

Adrian's family wept with relief in the public gallery as the verdict was announced. The jury took just 90 minutes to reach their verdict after a two week trial.

Judge Graham Cottle adjourned sentence until tomorrow.

The only sentence for murder is life imprisonment but the judge will have to set a minimum tariff to be served before he becomes eligible for parole.

Mr Simon Laws, QC, said the crime was aggravated by Hodgkin's attempts to cover up the killing with the fire.

He said:"Adrian Munday was particularly vulnerable due to his disability. He was also vulnerable to the financial exploitation that undoubtedly took place.

"He was vulnerable to physical abuse and there is evidence that he had assaulted Adrian previously.

Mr Paul Dunkels, QC, defending, said he would provide more information about Hodgkin's cancer before the sentence is passed.

He said:"He is a man who will die in prison, and quite soon."

Hodgkin did not give evidence but in police interviews tried to shift the blame onto Adrian's friend Tracie Gunn, who he accused of exploiting Adrian in exactly the way he had done.

In reality, Tracie, aged 49, was Adrian's best friend who suffers from bi-polar disorder. They had met while staying in the same supported accommodation and helped each other cope with the transition to independent living.