THE mother of a murdered Burnley barman has spoken of her hate for his killer after he was jailed for life.

Savage Derek Lomas kicked and jumped on 30-year-old Damian Smyth's head in a vicious, unprovoked assault.

Mr Smyth, of Sandhurst Street, suffered severe head injuries and died five months after the assault, as he walked home from the Town Mouse pub on October 9 last year.

The attack left him unrecognisable and with injuries similar to those of a car crash victim.

Lomas, of Hobart Street, Burnley, had claimed he could not remember whether he had attacked the innocent barman, who was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

But a jury at Preston Crown Court took only an hour to find the 22-year-old guilty of murder after a three-day trial.

Detectives said taking violent Lomas off the streets had saved someone else from suffering a brutal attack.

Mr Smyth's family wept with relief at the verdict but say their lives will never be the same again.

Distraught mum Angela Holt, of Greave Close, Constablelee, Rawtenstall, said: "I'm really, really pleased. I think justice has been done.

"I will never be able to cope with it, never. He took my son away and the chance of him giving me more grandchildren.

"The pain will never go away. I hate him. I don't see how anyone can do anything like that to another human being no matter what the circumstances. There's a relief but no matter how much he gets it will never be enough for us.

"I'm glad he's not going to be able to do it to anyone else again. I don't want any other family to go through what we went through these last 12 months. All we can do is try to move on.

"We still miss Damian."

In an emotional tribute she said her son was "full of life" and "loved and enjoyed life."

Mr Smyth's sister Arlene Birtwistle named her son, who was born not long after her brother's death, Michael Damian after him.

Det Insp Steve Chard said: "We are very pleased with the outcome of a guilty verdict. It was a nasty and unprovoked attack on a member of the public walking home at night.

"It was a ferocious attack where Lomas kicked and jumped on Damian Smyth's head."

Lomas has a history of violence, which police fear built up to the tragedy.

Det Sgt Derry Crorken added: "The fact he has been found guilty with his history of violence will prevent any further attacks by this man on the public."

Lomas was given life but Judge Justice Davis adjourned setting a minimum tariff until today for pre-sentence reports.

Mr Smyth was walking home along Albert Street after a shift at the Town Mouse pub, Brown Street, in the early hours of October 9 last year when he was attacked.

Lomas, who had been drinking heavily and had taken two ecstasy tablets, kicked him in the head several times and jumped on his head with both feet. Witnesses also said he even kicked Mr Smyth in the head one last time while he was phoning for an ambulance. He and his friend Graham Hancock initially claimed to have just found the body. But Mr Hancock changed his statement within hours and told police Lomas had attacked Mr Smyth out of the blue and on his own.

Witnesses claimed Lomas had seemed hyper and had been "bragging" about attacking someone.

But he told the court he had only thrown a couple of punches before blacking out. The next thing he said he remembered was being pulled away from the body, lying in a pool of blood, by Mr Hancock.

Lomas' defence team suggested Mr Hancock was also responsible but had "grassed" up Lomas to "save his own skin." He denied this.

Det Sgt Crorken called Lomas' defence "the last throw of the dice of a man who knew he was guilty."

Forensic scientists also found blood on Lomas' clothing that supported the assertion he had kicked or stamped on Mr Smyth.