AXE murderer Gerald Edwards has started a life sentence after being found guilty of the brutal slaughter of flatmate Michael Kelly.

As the verdict was announced, yesterday, members of the dead 35-year-old Liverpool drugs dealer's family shouted "Yes!" and hugged each other, and his mother wept tears of relief.

Edwards, who had killed the father-of-three with an axe blow to the head in their Teme Road flat - before borrowing a saw from an unsuspecting neighbour and dismembering his victim's body - stood in the dock and showed no emotion.

He shrugged his shoulders and shook hands with Gary Wood, who walked free after being found not guilty of

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The trial judge, Mr Justice Douglas Brown, then turned to the 32-year-old Tolladine man and condemned him.

"The jury has convicted you of the brutal murder of Michael Kelly," he told Edwards. "The Crown's description of you as callous is, in my view, entirely justified.

"Having battered him to death, you then sawed him in half and, with Shearon, hid the body parts in the woods in Grafton Lane."

"Why you killed Kelly will never be known for certain, but it's very likely that he discovered that you had stolen money and drugs from him."

The judge then commented on Edwards behaviour during the trial, which had lasted almost four weeks.

The killer had frequently lost his temper, sworn and even thrown water over the prosecution barrister.

"It's obvious from your conduct that you're a violent and dangerous man," he said, before passing the mandatory life sentence.

The jury of six men and five women - one juror had been discharged - had taken five hours to reach its verdict at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday afternoon.

Edwards was led away to cheers and jeers from Kelly's family.

Ashley Shearon, aged 34, who had admitted perverting the course of justice in helping dispose of the body in Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, and torching the car used to transport the remains was given a five year sentence.

It was he who had implicated 47-year-old Wood, saying he had assisted in burning the car.