A man who killed a disabled man with a golf club in a “brutal” attack then left his body to be found following a fire has been jailed for murder.
Police, ambulance and fire staff found the body of David McKenna at his home in Finch Close, Barnet, around 6am on October 12 last year while responding to calls of a fire at the ground floor flat.
Reece Jones, of West Hendon Broadway, Hendon, was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison at the Old Bailey on Thursday (December 1).
Officers, the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade attended and found an unresponsive man trapped inside. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 06:51hrs.
The 55-year-old Mr McKenna was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire and a post-mortem at Northwick Park Hospital Mortuary gave his cause of death as extensive head injuries.
Mr McKenna, who used wheelchairs and had regular visits from carers, had been well liked by neighbours in Finch Close – where he lived for 10 years prior to his death.
READ MORE: Neighbours pay tribute to murder victim
Detective Inspector Simon Pickford, from the homicide and major crime command, said: “This was a particularly brutal attack on a vulnerable and disabled man.
“Mr McKenna was beaten repeatedly around the head with a golf club and then his house was set on fire.
“My thoughts remain with David’s family at this time.”
CCTV footage showed the 26-year-old Jones walking in the direction of the Barnet address around 2.05am on the day of Mr McKenna’s death.
A forensic exam of Mr McKenna’s lounge, where he was killed, found DNA on rolled up cigarette butts left on a coffee table later identified to match Jones.
Jones was arrested on June 26 and charged Mr McKenna’s murder three days later.
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