THIS is the last known photograph of murder victim Rico Dardis taken on the day that he was killed.

The picture was snapped by one of his killers- Paul Gerlach- on board the boat as they left the harbour on that fateful day.

Another exclusive picture obtained by the Echo shows the murderers photographed on Friar’s Cliff by passersby as the speedboat washed ashore.

Bournemouth Echo:

 

At the trial, the court heard that the engine had stopped after the boat hit Mr Dardis, and it took several hours to reach the shore.

This photograph shows Paul Gerlach standing in the beached boat while Louis Borzoni inspects the propeller.

On landing they were accosted by a local couple who helped them tie the boat up, then noticed Mr Dardis’ body in the surf at the stern.

The court was told Borzoni responded to their questions by saying “Oh, maybe it’s a dummy”.

Among the evidence used against the pair was a selection of covert police recordings of their conversations with friends and family after their initial release on bail.

In these, they were heard plotting to agree on a consistent version of events.

Both were also heard confessing to the murder, Borzoni to his brother and Gerlach to his estranged wife.

In the latter recording, which was played to the court, Gerlach said: “I killed him, I killed him.

“We pushed him off to get him away. He was floating in the water. You want to know the truth, that’s the truth.”

He then described putting the speedboat in full throttle and used his hands to demonstrate the sound of the boat hitting Mr Dardis.

He said he wasn’t remorseful as Mr Dardis “deserved it”.

Asked in court why he had confessed to murder if he was innocent, he said he had been trying to impress her by showing that Mr Dardis couldn’t “push him around”.

Detective Inspector Marcus Hester, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Team, said: “My thoughts are with the family of Rico Dardis and I hope that today’s verdict brings some closure for them.

"This was a violent attack with a very tragic outcome for someone who was a popular and well liked character in the Boscombe area.”