Brendan Mason had ‘numerous learning difficulties’ (Picture: SWNS)

Two friends filmed themselves beating a man with learning difficulties to death, telling him ‘Smile for the camera’ as they killed him.

‘Friends’ who hung man with learning difficulties from tree jailed for life

Joshua Hack, 21, and Keith Lowe, 22, lured ‘easily led’ Brendan Mason to a park, making him believe they wanted to spend time with him.

But when they arrived, they hung him from a tree, taking turns hitting him while the other held him for several hours, laughing and taunting him in the early hours of July 5 last year.

After he fell unconscious, they stripped him naked and threw his body in a pond, leaving him for dead in Abbey Park, Leicester.


Police cordoned off the park (Picture; SWNS)

Groundsmen found Mr Mason naked, unconscious and bleeding at 7.40am and he was airlifted to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry.

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Medics discovered he had 99 separate injuries to his head and body, including brain damage, five broken ribs and a collapsed lung, and he died later that day.



Hack, of Beaumont Leys, Leicester previously admitted murder however, Lowe, of Crown Hills, denied it and went on trial last week.

He was four days into his trial before he changed his plea, after police produced video of what he did, which he had tried to delete from his phone.

Brendan was left for dead (Picture: SWNS)

‘Officers were able to see the video on the Cloud, showing an unfortunate scene,’ prosecutor Miranda Moore QC said.

‘It shows Brendan’s battered and naked body with Lowe landing blows.’

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She added: ‘It was being made for a third party to show them what happened to Brendan.’

Messages from the murderers’ Facebook show at 2.46am Hack said to Lowe: ‘Just do it dude.’

Lowe replied: ‘Shall we do it because he’s f**k me off with the lies.’

Miss Moore said: “They were using their phones to communicate because Brendan doesn’t know what’s about to happen to him.

Lowe only admitted it halfway through his trial (Picture: SWNS)

The court heard Mr Mason died from ‘unsurvivable’ brain damage.

After the case, senior investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Mick Graham said: ‘Brendan was known to the defendants and considered them as friends, and they lured him to the park with the full intention of hurting him.’

Brendan’s family released a statement that read: ‘It is not right how two evil people can do such a horrific thing and leave a massive hole in our lives that will never be filled again.

‘Brendan was a lovely young man and he was so happy. He had numerous learning difficulties and very poor vision.

‘Even though Brendan had numerous learning difficulties and was very easily led by others, he always knew right from wrong.

‘The police have been a big part of our life for the past seven months; they have been amazing, but there will never be closure for us.’

Hack and Lowe will be sentenced tomorrow at Leicester Crown Court.