AN ALCOHOLIC couple are today beginning life sentences after being found guilty of brutally beating a man to death, stuffing his body into a suitcase and burying it in woodland.

Richard Ormond, 35, and Samantha Faulder, 46, will spend at least 24 years behind bars after a jury of 11 convicted them of the murder of Richard Emery, a former paramedic, at his home in Throop Road on Bournemouth’s Townsend Estate last April.

The jury took around eight hours to find the pair guilty. As the verdict was read, Faulder gave no reaction, while Ormond stared at the court’s clock before shaking his head.

As they left the dock, Faulder was heard to say “At least it’s not 30 years, Richard”, before Ormond replied: “Whatever.”

Sentencing the pair, who had both denied murder, the Honourable Mr Justice Royce said: “Clearly the two of you know the details of what precisely happened on April 10 (2008).

“Both of you have told a manipulative pack of lies to this jury, as their verdicts reveal.”

He added that it was clear that the motivation for the beating was to get hold of Mr Emery’s Post Office card so they could access his account.

Mr Justice Royce added: “I am satisfied that Richard Emery was beaten severely about the head and face and that for some time he was tied to a chair.”

During the attack, Mr Emery, also an alcoholic, had his ribs broken, had socks forced down his throat and suffered a punctured lung.

The judge said “torture” was an accurate word to describe what he was subjected to and Ormond and Faulder had shown no remorse.

He added: “After his death, what you did was disgraceful.”