THE thug who murdered a Darwen man with a champagne flute had been jailed three previous times for arson, drug dealing and burglary, the Lancashire Telegraph can reveal.

Killer Jack Costello, who was last week found guilty of murdering 23-year-old Jason ‘Jay Jay’ Taylor in the former Esco-Bar in Darwen, had a long list of previous convictions, including setting fire to a family home in Darwen in a row over a Playstation game.

The 45-year-old’s prior offending was not revealed to the jury – as is often the case in such hearings – because of strict laws ensuring defendants are given a fair trial.

However, his previous convictions were read out to the court by Judge Mark Brown, The Honorary Recorder of Preston, during Costello's sentencing hearing, allowing the jury to hear the full extent of his criminal past.

A decade before he was handed a life sentence for the unprovoked murder of Mr Taylor, Costello was jailed for six years for causing £100,000 of damage to a Darwen home.

He was cleared of a more serious charge of arson with intent to endanger life.

Preston Crown Court had heard that the arson attack in August 2007 was carried out in the early morning.

It was claimed that Costello was seen banging on the door and shouting through the letterbox the night before.

The fire was the culmination of a night of abuse and threats towards the occupants of the house, the court heard.

The attack was sparked following a dispute over a child’s missing PlayStation game.

Judge Andrew Woolman passed a sentence of six years in prison, with three years extended licence to protect the public after deeming Costello to be a dangerous offender.

Judge Woolman that as a result of an “explosive mixture” of drink and drugs, Costello had decided to teach the house owner, or her family a lesson.

The court heard Costello, then 35, knew no one was at home when he set fire to the terraced property but had no idea whether the houses at either side of his target were occupied.

But this was not the first time Costello was jailed.

In 1997, then aged 24, he was handed a three- year prison sentence for aggravated burglary.

And the court heard he had also been jailed on a another occasion – for seven-and-a-half years – for the supply of class A drugs.

The arson, aggravated burglary and drug dealing offences were "just the highlights" from a long list of convictions, according to Judge Brown.

A jury last week took six and a half hours to find Costello guilty of murder by a majority of 10 to two.

Costello was told he would serve a minimum of 19 years before he is eligible for parole.

The jury was told how Costello, of Victoria Street, Rishton, had first grabbed and bitten his victim in an unprovoked attack, before thrusting the glass into his neck.

Mr Taylor suffered catastrophic injuries and died in hospital following the attack at the former Esco-Bar in the early hours of Sunday, January 28.

In her victim statement, Jay Jay’s mother, Vicky Taylor, said: “Jay Jay had never been in trouble and he was certainly not a violent man. We have lost everything and we will now miss out on him getting married and having children.

“My family has been put through so much. I feel like I am the one receiving the life sentence.”