Two brothers have been jailed for life for the “ferocious” murder of a 39-year-old grandfather during a feud between families.

John Kinsella, 26, must serve at least 21 years behind bars and David, 24, known as Micky, a minimum of 15 years, for the brutal attack on Ross Keenan in which a meat cleaver and carving knife were used.

The Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, said the pair “jointly and ferociously” attacked Mr Keenan, the father of Micky Kinsella’s on-off girlfriend. Mr Keenan was repeatedly struck with the cleaver and stabbed with the knife.

He suffered more than 70 injuries, including four blows to the skull from the cleaver. The walls of his home in Holme Top Lane, Little Horton, Bradford, were spattered with blood, prosecutor Judith Naylor told Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

Micky Kinsella pleaded guilty on June 3 to murdering Mr Keenan on December 13 last year.

John Kinsella was convicted of murder last month by a jury at Bradford Crown Court.

Mrs Naylor said there was ill-feeling between the brothers and Mr Keenan, who lived a few doors down on the same street.

Mr Keenan was in a relationship with the Kinsella’s sister Kelly and his daughter, Tifani Womersley, was the on-off girlfriend of Micky Kinsella.

Mrs Naylor said the relationship between Miss Womersley and Micky Kinsella was volatile. They had a daughter together and Tifani was pregnant again.

Mr Keenan “was not thrilled by the news,” Mrs Naylor said.

On the day of the murder, Miss Womersley texted Micky Kinsella saying he could not see her or their daughter, the court heard.

That evening, Micky Kinsella armed himself with a meat cleaver and metal bar and went to see Mr Keenan.

He later told police he did not want to harm Mr Keenan, but just persuade him to telephone his daughter.

Both brothers had been drinking vodka, the court heard.

Micky Kinsella swung at Mr Keenan with the cleaver while he was sitting on the sofa.

John Kinsella arrived and the brothers used at least three weapons in a sustained attack.

Mr Keenan was left dying in a pool of blood. The carving knife and blood-stained cleaver were left at the scene.

The brothers burned their clothes and footwear in the car park at St Luke’s Hospital and washed the iron bar.

Micky Kinsella was arrested at 1.35am the next day and his brother soon afterwards.

Mrs Naylor said it was “a sustained, horrific, attack” in Mr Keenan’s own home.

John Kinsella was on prison licence after serving a four-and-a-half year jail sentence for robbing a filling station by holding a knife to an employee’s throat.

In mitigation, Rodney Jameson QC, for Micky Kinsella, said he was ill-equipped emotionally to deal with his problems.

Going to see Mr Keenan armed and in drink was “a recipe for disaster”.

“It is a ghastly tragedy for all those involved,” Mr Jameson said.

Micky Kinsella’s mother, Janet, described her son as “very disturbed and depressed,” Mr Jameson added.

The court was told Micky Kinsella had been discharged from Lynfield Mount Hospital a short time before the murder.

Graham Hyland QC, mitigating for John Kinsella, said: “It was not his row and he was probably not the prime mover.”

Judge Gullick said it was “a particularly vicious and brutal murder”.

He thanked Detective Sergeant Paul Whiteley, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, for his hard work on a difficult case.