A COIN collector is facing a life sentence after being convicted of murdering a fellow enthusiast and attempting to blow up his flat.
Danny Bostock denied he was responsible for brutally stabbing Gordon McGhee, 52, in the bedroom of his flat in Forest Road, Colchester, in August to get his hands on Beatrix Potter 50ps.
But after six hours of deliberation, a jury unanimously convicted Bostock of murder and attempted arson.
Bostock left the dock and returned to the cells while Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, was reading out his previous convictions.
Judge David Goodin, who has presided over the trial said he would have addressed Bostock and said: “Any murder is horrific – this one extremely so and as a matter of law a life sentence must follow.”
READ MORE: Tributes paid to man killed in "senseless and brutal" murder over 50p coins
He said the starting point for the minimum tariff would be 30 years.
Bostock will be sentenced later this month.
During the three-week trial, the court heard Bostock, 33, was a collector of limited edition circulation coins including Beatrix Potter 50ps.
READ MORE: Murder accused said someone else killed Gordon while wearing his shoes
He knew Mr McGhee through their mutual friend Melissa Mcgrory and he had been kind enough to offer Bostock some of his spare collectables in the weeks before his death.
- Tragic - Gordon McGhee
A group had been drinking at the flats in the hours before Mr McGhee was killed with tensions rising between Bostock and another man at the gathering – Daniel Welham – over coins which had gone missing from Miss Mcgrory’s home.
READ MORE: Court hears victim gave accused coins from 'prized collection' before death
To shock the pair and stop the bickering, she cut herself and Bostock followed suit.
Mr Welham then stormed off, Miss Mcgrory went to hospital and Bostock entered Mr McGhee’s flat in an apparently opportunistic attempt to steal his coveted coins.
When Mr McGhee intervened he was stabbed 14 times, including to his face and neck, and his flat was searched.
Gas hobs were turned on and a dish cloth was set alight in an apparent bid to cause an explosion and destroy the evidence left behind.
READ MORE: Man was murdered over limited edition Beatrix Potter 50ps, court hears
The majority of Mr McGhee’s coin collection, the murder weapon and the clothes Bostock was wearing that night have never been found.
- Scene - Forest Road in Colchester
Mr McGhee’s blood was found on his bike and footprints of trainers Bostock had on were traipsed around the flat.
Bostock claimed Mr Welham – who was never arrested nor charged - was responsible for the murder as Mr McGhee did not like him, and that he had worn his shoes while carrying out the brutal attack.
READ MORE: Murder accused denies confessing he stabbed coin collector during prison phone call
He told the jury that he left the flats unaware Mr McGhee had come to any harm and cycled to Barrack Street for more booze in the early hours of the morning despite it meaning he went past a 24-hour Tesco superstore, before returning to his partner’s house in Tangerine Close.
But the jury rejected his claims.
The court heard Bostock has previous burglary convictions and has also been convicted of rape when he was known as Danny Maltman. He still denies the sex attack.
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