Two men convicted of murdering Aquil Richardson in an execution-style shooting are today starting life prison sentences.

Antoine Anderson and brother-in-law Philip Bradshaw were found guilty by the unanimous verdict of a Supreme Court jury after almost six hours of deliberation yesterday.

Bradshaw, a Jamaican, pumped two bullets into the 30-year-old victim's head at point-blank range in Southampton on Boxing Day 2007. Anderson was his getaway motorcycle rider.

The verdicts, which came at the end of a month-long trial, were greeted with sobs and cries of 'thank you Jesus!" from the public gallery.

The murderers showed little emotion as Chief Justice Richard Ground jailed them for a minimum 15 years, telling them: "You have both been found guilty by the jury of a callous killing."

The victim's mother, Shahidah Abdur-Rahim, wept with relief as she left the Supreme Court.

"I feel justice has been served. I believe in the justice system and I believe it was the right thing to do to let the system decide," she told The Royal Gazette. "I feel relieved. I was very nervous and I'm glad its over I'm not sure how much more of this I could have taken.

"I want to thank the community for their support. There were times when I was feeling hopeless and I want to thank them for their prayers."

Mr. Richardson, a father-of-three, was Ms Abdur-Rahim's only child. She was supported yesterday by his father and her ex-husband, Larry Richardson.

Asked how she felt about her son's killers, she replied: "I feel sorry for them and their families. I'm not a hateful person and I feel that their families will suffer with them not being there, especially their children."

During the trial the jury heard how 26-year-old Bradshaw, who hails from an impoverished area of Kingston, moved to Bermuda just 11 days before the slaying.

He told the jury he'd recently married Anderson's sister Tyeasha Cameron and came to the Island to be with her.

He rode pillion that night on 31-year-old Anderson's motorcycle, which drew up near a group of men including Mr. Richardson in Camp Hill, Southampton. Eyewitnesses told how the masked gunman opened fire on the group, wounding 25-year-old Lavar Smith in the leg.

He then got off the bike, walked over to Mr. Richardson as he lay on the ground, and pumped two bullets into his head from just inches away.

The men were charged together under the principle that they committed the murder working in partnership.

They were additionally convicted of wounding Lavar Smith with intent to do him grievous bodily harm and got ten year sentences which will run alongside the life sentences for murder.

No motive for the crime was ever put to the jury by prosecutors, but questions were raised over whether it was due to gang rivalry between the notorious 'town' and 'country' factions. Jakai Harford Tyeasha Anderson's brother through different parents was shot in the shoulder at the same location leaving a party 48 hours before the murder.

According to the defendants, they attended the party with Mr. Harford as part of a group that travelled there from St. Monica's Road, Pembroke.

That area colloquially known as '42nd Street' is part of the 'town' area, while Southampton is known in gang circles as 'country'.

Mr. Harford was living in 42nd street at the time, with the defendants living with Ms Cameron in nearby Curving Avenue. Mr. Richardson was from Southampton.

No eyewitness was able to identify the culprits, who concealed their faces, and it was circumstantial and forensic evidence that brought the men to justice.

Key prosecution witness Malika Gumbs, a friend of Anderson's sister, was at their Curving Avenue residence on the night of the killing.

Ms Gumbs described how Bradshaw borrowed her black jacket with a fur hood and rode off on the back of Anderson's bike.

The jury heard from Lavar Smith how the shooter wore a black fur-trimmed jacket when he opened fire on him and his friends.

Ms Gumbs also recalled how Anderson was holding a ski mask upon his return.

She and her children had to be temporarily relocated to a safe house after her assistance to the Police prompted phone calls and texts from Anderson, trying to get her to change her story.

The murderers were also caught out by gunshot residue at the crime scene.

The residue, which consists of fine particles emitted from a firearm when the trigger is pulled, was found on the jacket Bradshaw borrowed from Ms Gumbs.

Further residue was discovered on a car driven by Bradshaw in the hours after the incident and jeans and pants belonging to Anderson.

Prior to jailing the pair, the Chief Justice took into consideration truck driver Anderson's previous convictions for assault and causing grievous bodily harm. Bradshaw, who was unemployed after moving to Bermuda, had a clean record.

Greeting the outcome of the case, Detective Chief Inspector Antoine Daniels of the Serious Crime Unit said: "As you saw, we had a very impactive witness in this case. We're hoping that some of that transfers, and assists us in the furthering of avenues in these other cases.

"It is very important that the Police-community partnership grows. This successful result is a result of that partnership and it shows you what we can achieve together as one."

Before sending the jury home the Chief Justice thanked the seven men and five women for their service, and excused them from serving for the next ten years as a token of respect.