A MAN and a woman have been found guilty of murdering well-known Keighley resident George Dore who was stabbed to death outside his home after they turned up in the early hours demanding money.

Leslie Walker, 46, and Angela Thornton, 48, both of Nightingale Street, Keighley, were unanimously convicted at Bradford Crown Court late this morning.

A third defendant, Anthony Atha, 53, of West Bank Close in the town, was cleared of both murder and manslaughter.

Judge Jonathan Rose discharged him and he was taken out of the dock.

Judge Rose told Walker and Thornton they would receive life sentences for the murder but he needed to fix the minimum term that each would serve behind bars.

They were remanded back into custody to be sentenced on a date to be fixed, possibly as early as next week if all the Queen’s Counsel involved in the case are available.

Judge Rose thanked the jurors for their hard work and diligence and excused them from serving again on a jury for five years unless they wish to do so.

During the trial, Simon Kealey QC, for the Crown, said that Mr Dore, 49, was fatally stabbed in the chest in a confrontation outside his address in Fell Lane, Keighley, on April 8.

Mr Kealey QC said Walker and Thornton went to Mr Dore’s address unannounced with the intention of getting money from him.

They took a taxi to the address and woke Mr Dore by shouting and kicking his front door. When he came out into the street to confront them he was fatally stabbed in the chest.

The knife was recovered from a beck behind Morrisons supermarket.

Mr Kealey said that Walker and Thornton’s clothing had Mr Dore’s blood on it indicating that each had been in contact with him once he had been stabbed and was bleeding.

A footprint left on the front door matched the footwear of Walker indicating he had kicked at it.

The knife recovered by the police from the beck bore DNA from Mr Dore suggesting it had been used to injure him, Mr Kealey said.

Post-mortem examination evidence disclosed that Mr Dore died as a result of a stab wound to the chest and that the knife recovered could have caused the fatal injury.

CCTV footage had captured the arrival of all three defendants by taxi at 3.40am and the ensuing melee during which Mr Dore fell on to the pavement. The whole incident had lasted less than two minutes, the jury was told.

Mr Dore went back into his house and was lying on the sofa. His partner at first thought he was having an asthma attack. There was blood near the front door and outside on the kerb. He was in distress and asking for help to breathe.

She then rang the emergency services but attempts to save his life were unsuccessful.

The Home Office pathologist concluded that after he was stabbed, Mr Dore would have had a number of seconds, or short number of minutes, during which purposeful activity may have been possible.

Atha told the jury that Mr Dore’s death was nothing to do with him. The men were friends and he would never harm him.

He said he was “blitzed” after taking alcohol and drugs and played no part in the violence.

Following Mr Dore's death, his family said: “He was a kind, generous, well liked local man who was much loved and will be greatly missed.

"A legend of the town that was loved.”