A 'sexually obsessed' handyman has been found guilty of the brutal murder of his love rival, hitting him over the head with a heavy blow from an unknown weapon before burning him alive but unconscious in his car.

Mark Chilman was today unanimously convicted of the murder of Neil Parkinson, the man who had replaced him in the affections of his former partner, Juliet Adcock.

The 52-year-old hit him over the head with a weapon which was never recovered, causing a depressed fracture to the base of his skull, and then burned him in his BMW X5 at a layby at Ankerdine Road, Cotheridge near, Worcester on December 12.

The jury of nine men and three women arrived back into court at around 10.50am am when the foreman of the jury stood up and announced the guilty verdict following a trial at Worcester Crown Court which began last Monday. Announcement of the verdict was delayed slightly to allow family members to come into the public gallery and observe.

The defendant, dressed in a checked shirt with rolled up sleeves, lowered his head and closed his eyes as he learned his fate.

The jury retired shortly after 2pm yesterday when they began deliberating.

Chilman of Old Post Office, Pencombe lay in wait before he ambushed the 66-year-old, striking him over the back of the head with something with a straight edge and using a weighty force as he was closing the gate of Giltedge Farm in Broadwas.

Mr Parkinson had been on his way home to Clifton upon Teme where he lived, caring for his elderly mother, after spending the evening with Ms Adcock.

The extent of the fractures meant medical experts could not be certain what weapon was used to strike the blow but that 'substantial force' had been used and that the object had a straight edge, similar to what you might find on a hammer.

The father-of-two's blood was found on the gatepost, a broken plant pot and the victim's keyring on the ground providing further evidence of the struggle.

It was a blow that would have rendered Mr Parkinson unconscious before Chilman drove him to the lay-by and used around 40 litres of petrol from two stolen jerry cans to set him on fire in the driver's seat of his car, deliberately centring the fire around his body, staging it to look like he committed suicide.

Medical evidence suggested Mr Parkinson was breathing but unconscious when the fire took hold.

Chilman sent what the prosecution called a 'suicide text' to Ms Adcock, purporting to be from Mr Parkinson using 'another phone' at 10.17pm on the night of his death.

Ms Adcock in her evidence said she knew the text was from Chilman because of the 'appalling' spelling and grammar. She also recognised other phrases that Mr Parkinson would never have used because he was 'a gentleman'. She also said Mr Parkinson thought the world of his mother, for whom he was the carer as she battled dementia, and would not have referred to her as a 'burden' which was how she was described in the text.

The message took the form of a confession in which Chilman, pretending to be Mr Parkinson, wrote: "I lead a double life. I use and abuse woman (sic). It goes like this. I've been taking women of (sic) there (sic) partners and husband's (sic) for a very long time and I get a buss (sic) from it."

In the message Chilman claimed his victim had a form of sexual addiction called 'satyriasis' and urged Ms Adcock to 'go back to him' (Mark). The prosecution described it as an attempt to 'blacken' the name of Mr Parkinson. It was also revealed by Mr Parkinson's son, Christopher, that his loving father' did not suffer from depression or mental health problems and was 'very happy' with his life before his death.

They heard how Chilman had left love messages in lipstick on Ms Adcock's mirrors at Giltedge Farm where he had once lived with her.

He also left a noose to 'hang himself' and a sledgehammer at the farm, Ms Adcock taking photos of the items and put a tracking device on her car because he suspected she was 'having an affair'.

Police also found items of her clothing including her underwear and had sprayed some of them with the brand of perfume she used, 'cuddling them' and using them as a 'comfort blanket'.

Chilman also sent a text he had sent to his friend Andy Underwood, telling him to say he was having a Chinese with him if he was asked and. Chilman told him: "I'm ready to go down for it. I have nothing left."

Sentence has been adjourned until 10am on Monday.