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A car wash worker was beaten to death after doing a poo in a his killer's garden.

Sigitas Kirkickas, 53, was murdered by fellow Lituanian Audrius Zauka in revenge for his "revolting" act.

Zauka, a 41-year-old father-of-two, was jailed for life on Friday.

The killer spent six days on the run after beating to death car wash worker Mr Kirkickas at his home in Boston.

The town boasts Britain's higher proportion of eastern European immigrants and was labelled the UK's "murder capital" last year after figures showed 15 murder-related crimes for every 100,000 people.

A jury at Lincoln Crown Court heard Mr Kirkickas suffered more than 80 injuries, including more than 30 broken bones, and were similar to him having been run over by a car.

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William Harbage QC, prosecuting, said "For whatever reason, whether he was simply drunk or whether he was desperate and couldn't wait Mr Kirkickas seems to have dropped his trousers and defecated in the garden near to the back gate.

"When he got to the doorstep he was in the process of doing his belt and trousers up.

"The defendant realised what had happened and reacted very badly.

"The prosecution accept that there is every reason to be pretty unhappy about somebody defecating in your back garden.

"It is disgusting. It is revolting.

"But there is no justification for reacting as violently as this defendant did beating him to death."

The prosecutor added "This was a sustained attack on Sigitas using severe force.

"This was a brutal killing. Mr Kirkickas was kicked, stamped on and beaten to death.

"He was given a right good kicking.

(Image: pa)

"He received significant head injuries. There was traumatic injury to the brain.

"He also received multiple injuries to his body including extensive bruising and abrasions.

"He suffered a fracture of a bone in the throat, two fractures of his breastbone and no fewer than 28 fractures of his ribs.

"Some of his ribs were broken in two places.

"Severe force would be required to cause all of those fractures.

"He also received lacerations of the liver and kidneys and bruising of the lungs."

Mr Kirkickas, who moved to the UK on the day Lithuania joined in the EU in 2004, was left dying in the kitchen of Zauka's home while his killer carried on drinking with friends.

"At one point Zauka calmly walked away to a local off licence for moire supplies before returning to the house.

Zauka then went into hiding and was only tracked down six days later hiding at an address in Boston.

He denied the murder on 23 October 2015 but was found guilty by a jury on an 11-1 majority.

Judge Michael Heath, passing sentence, told him "You inflicted upon him a brutal, sustained and savage attack.

"Very severe force would have been required to cause all of the injuries.

"The pathologist said it would have taken half an hour or so to die.

"You took no steps to help him in anyway and you made it clear in a threatening manner that all those present should say nothing about what happened."

Nick Bleaney, mitigating, said the trigger for Zauka's actions was sudden death of his wife two days before the murder.

Zauka did not give evidence during his trial but told police another couple were responsible for the assaults.

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DCI Martin Holvey, who led the murder investigation, said "Zauka's actions following the attack necessitated huge resources being deployed to Lincolnshire from the East Midlands region to locate and arrest him six days later.

"During this time, we were greatly assisted by the public in Boston and I thank them for their help.

"It demonstrates the importance of close liaison between police and the community in order to bring offenders to justice.

Mr Kirkickas leaves behind a mother, daughter and sister in Lithuania and we have been in regular contact with them to support them throughout this difficult time".