Two men were each starting a ten-year prison sentence today for the "callous and ugly" killing of Pudsey pensioner John Nutter.

Michael Wardle, 24, of Stainbeck Avenue, Leeds, and Dean Stubley, 24, of Beckhill Chase, Leeds, were convicted at Leeds Crown Court of the manslaughter of the 68-year-old poultry auctioneer during a burglary at his home in Woodhall Park Crescent West last July.

A third man, Johannes Thompson, 35, of West Bowling, Bradford, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for conspiring to commit burglary with Wardle and Stubley.

Sentencing the pair, Judge Brian Walsh QC said: "Mr Nutter was threatened and was made to feel in great fear of what would happen to him.

"Tragically, because of his ill health, the shock was too much for him and he died. He was then robbed of the Rolex watch on his wrist.

"It's difficult to imagine more callous behaviour than to rob a man once you believed him to be dead or dying. This was a very serious, ugly and callous offence."

Mr Walsh also praised the bravery of Mr Nutter's sister-in-law, 56-year-old Mary Skilton, with whom he lived and who was injured during the raid, requiring 12 stitches to a head wound. During the trial, prosecutor Andrew Robertson QC described how three masked men entered the couple's home on July 20, hitting Mrs Skilton with a stolen police baton and spraying an incapacitant in her face.

In a statement, Mrs Skilton described how the men demanded to know where the safe was and how a third man brandished a knife at her.

She said: "I went to check on John. He was sat in his armchair and looked very pale. I shoved the men to one side and told them I was phoning for an ambulance, but they pulled out the phone sockets.

"I then heard one of the men who was pacing around saying 'Good God, he's croaked it'".

The robbers then stole the watch, two rings from Mrs Nutter's fingers and bracelets from her arm. An inquest into Mr Nutter's death later found that he died of a heart attack, brought on by fear.

Mr Roberston also described how Thompson had conspired with Stubley and Wardle to commit the burglary by providing them with a Renault car, giving them money for petrol for a second getaway car and by providing them with rubber gloves for the burglary.

Speaking after the trial, Michael Lynes, a family friend of Mr Nutter and Mrs Skilton, spoke of his relief at the verdict.

"I'm very pleased that Mary can now start to rebuild her life again. John was a huge man with a huge character. It's been a very difficult year for all concerned."

Detective Chief Superinten- dent Stuart Hyde said inquiries were still on-going into the whereabouts of the other man involved in the robbery.

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