The man who murdered chef Amjad Hussain “ruthlessly and in cold blood” by almost beheading him with a large meat cleaver must serve at least 25 years behind bars.

Jailing Mohammed Naeem for life at Bradford Crown Court , Mr Justice Lindblom said: “This was an exceptionally brutal murder.”

Naeem would only ever be freed if the Parole Board decided he no longer presented a risk to the public.

Naeem, 33, of Westfield Terace, Undercliffe , Bradford, lied to the police and then invented an elaborate story blaming four innocent men for the “savage attack”, the judge said. He planned the killing because he feared dishonour over an unpaid £1,000 debt to Mr Hussain, 32, the father of a nine-year-old son.

Mr Hussain, a pizza chef at the Four Seasons takeaway in Burley -in-Wharfedale, was murdered in the living room of his home in Rylstone Gardens, Undercliffe, Bradford, at lunchtime on January 12.

At least three heavy blows were inflicted to the back of his neck with the cleaver, severing the spinal cord.

The judge said Mr Hussain was entirely defenceless and could do nothing to protect himself. He considered Naeem a trusted friend and had let him into the house at a time when his killer knew he would be alone.

The meat cleaver, taken to the house by Naeem, weighed more than one kilogram and was extremely sharp.

Naeem then set fire to the house and tried to create a gas explosion in a bid to destroy the evidence. Firefighters recovered Mr Hussain’s body from the smoke-filled living room.

The judge said it was scarcely possible to imagine the effects of the crime on Mr Hussain’s family. He had read statements from his widow and his mother. His young son had written to the defendant asking him to explain why he had killed his father.

“You carefully worked out a plan and put it into effect, ruthlessly and in cold blood,” the judge told Naeem.

The judge commended Detective Superintendent Paul Taylor, who led the investigation, and his team of officers for their painstaking work to catch the killer.

Naeem’s barrister, Rodney Jameson QC, said his client was a family man with no previous convictions.

Naeem remained impassive throughout yesterday afternoon’s hearing and was led away in handcuffs to the cells after sentence was passed.