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Niramax boss Neil Elliott has been convicted of the manslaughter of Michael Phillips, who was beaten to death in a savage attack at his home address in Hartlepool.

Mr Phillips, who was 39, died last year in the town's Rydal Street after suffering more than 50 injuries. He died at the scene, despite the efforts of paramedics.

On Tuesday, March 3 Lee Darby, of Ridley Court, Hartlepool, was convicted of his murder.

Elliott, of Briarfields Close, and Anthony Small, of Rydal Street, were cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

Posts Neil Elliott made on his Facebook page and, inset, a picture of him released by Cleveland Police on his conviction.

A trial at Teesside Crown Court heard that Elliott, 44, had taken to social media on the morning of Mr Phillips’ death following a burglary at his daughter’s home.

In a chilling post, he warned that whoever had carried out the burglary would regret it.

It said: “Whoever burgled my daughter’s house last night and took her car – your life is about to change, trust me.”

In a separate message, he also asked friends to look out for his daughter’s car.

Neil Elliott was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.

Giving evidence, Elliott was asked about the Facebook post that was made by him on the morning of Monday, June 10 last year – the day of the attack on Mr Phillips.

Elliott told jurors from the witness box that he had been on Facebook at the time he received the call from his daughter about the burglary and that he was “angry”.

He added: "I just wrote it because it was in front of me to write it. I used social media to vent frustration at that moment."

This is the threatening Facebook post Neil Elliott sent on the day Michael Phillips was killed