A psychopathic former soldier today admitted the savage and sadistic murder of a four-year-old boy.

Family members of Riley Turner wept quietly in a packed Bradford Crown Court as details of the little boy’s horrific killing were outlined.

Anwar (Danny) Rosser, 33, sat in the secure dock flanked by five prison officers as Paul Greaney QC detailed the case for the prosecution.

Rosser, who sat with his hands clasped between his legs and his head bowed, was wearing a black jacket, blue shirt and blue trousers.

He pleaded guilty to murdering Riley as the youngster slept in his bed at his home in Harewood Road, Bracken Bank, Keighley, in the early hours of January 20 last year.

Details of Riley’s death were so horrific that members of his family were escorted from court by a police officer during part of the opening of the case.

Mr Greaney said: “By any standard, the circumstances of the killing were appalling, involving a savage level of violence.”

The court heard that Rosser joined the British Army when he was 17 and served with 5 Regiment Royal Artillery but he never saw active service and was jailed by the military for going absent without leave.

Psychologists who assessed Rosser after the killing described him as being a psychopath posing an immediate and grave risk to any member of the public that could involve sadistic killings of children.

He was branded “exceptionally dangerous”.

Mr Justice Coulson was due to sentence Rosser this afternoon.