A thug who battered his friend to death before blaming the murder on "black magic" has been jailed for life.
Palvinder Singh Hayre, 51, brutally attacked Gurmukh Singh in a booze-fuelled rage before leaving him to die on his doorstep.
Mr Singh, 70, was left with 32 fractures to his ribs, breast bone and eye sockets following the sustained assault.
The pensioner was then "unceremoniously dumped" outside Hayre's home in Smethwick, West Midlands, on November 23 before being found at around 1pm.
He was rushed to Birmingham's City Hospital where he later died from his injuries, which also included a punctured lung.
Hayre denied murder but was today found guilty following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
He was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 18 years and four months.
During his trial, Hayre claimed that black magic may have been responsible for his friend's death.
Hayre insisted he had not attacked or argued with the victim and claimed he was still unhurt when he went to sleep upstairs.
He told the court: "I didn't touch him at all."
When asked to explain how this could happen without his involvement he replied: "Black magic. I think they sent somebody to kill me but maybe they have killed him."
But the jury were told how blood stains from the victim were found on the jogging bottoms the defendant was wearing when he was arrested.
David Mason QC, prosecuting, said: "The body was unceremoniously dumped on the front door step of his house in the afternoon and had received such a violent beating that there was nothing that could have been done to save him."
Consultant forensic pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer told the court the victim had been hit at least four times with heavy punches, leaving him with deep bruising and fractures.
Detective Inspector Michelle Allen, from West Midlands Police, said after the case: "This is a tragic case where an elderly man was viciously beaten and left for dead in broad daylight.
"We do not know what caused Hayre to react in such a callous way before retiring to bed like nothing had happened.
"I hope today's outcome offers some comfort to Mr Singh's family at this sad time and I'd like to offer my sincere condolences to them."
