Double-murderer Darronte Dill is facing a life sentence after being convicted of killing homeless friends Maxwell Brangman and Frederick Gilbert.

A jury found the 19-year-old guilty by unanimous verdict after just over five hours of deliberations yesterday.

Heralding the conviction, Mr. Brangman's daughter Sereana said: "I'm happy, surprised and relieved. Now it's time to get some closure and healing."

Dill and an accomplice attacked the victims as they slept in a shed in St. David's early on September 21, 2008. Dill stabbed Mr. Gilbert, 53, multiple times before the victim escaped into the sea and died.

He then joined his accomplice in attacking 57-year-old former Regiment soldier Mr. Brangman. Dill stabbed him and slit his throat before his accomplice smashed his head with a rock. Dill then set the shed on fire, burning Mr. Brangman's body.

He showed no visible emotion as the jury returned the guilty verdicts against him yesterday. He will automatically get a life sentence in prison but Chief Justice Richard Ground will set the minimum period he must serve at a later date. He was taken to Westgate in a prison van flanked by a Police escort.

Ms Brangman, 26, from Warwick, said: "There's no sentence that's enough for me, but I don't want to see him on the streets no time soon within the next 25 years at the very least."

Frederick Gilbert's sister Charlene Gilbert said: "First of all I want to thank God, because He's been faithful in letting me know that all is well, that everything was going to turn out okay and He has proven this in the verdict that's come forward.

"Our family finally has closure and I'm grateful for that. My prayer from this stage is for Darronte and any other persons that were involved in this murder, for Darronte's grandmother, and that Darronte will find salvation in all of this."

Prosecutors alleged that Dill is a member of the Parkside gang who committed the killings to prove himself as "a hard guy" in the criminal underworld. However, he denied any gang motive in the crime, telling detectives he committed the murders simply because: "I wanted to know what it was like to take a life".

Dill refused to name his accomplice and later denied any involvement in the crime trying to pin the blame on fellow suspect Roger Lightbourne Sr.

Commenting on the fact that Dill admitted having an accomplice, but was the only person put on trial for the killings, Mr. Gilbert's other sister Sheral Grey said: "He put himself in his own situation. When the Police asked him who was the other person, he could have come forward and done so.

"But he didn't want to. Now he's going to have to go down by himself. That's the situation he's put himself into."

The sisters said they wished to thank the prosecution team "for their tireless effort", plus the Police and the jury.

Mr. Lightbourne Sr. was originally charged alongside Dill for the murder of Mr. Brangman. He spent four months on remand in prison before the Police concluded that the only witness who gave a statement implicating Mr. Lightbourne Sr. had made that statement up (see story on page 4). The prosecution then dropped the charge and Dill stood trial alone.

The jury heard during the case how Dill confessed to the crime while he was in the Police cells with Mr. Lightbourne Sr. after their arrests. At that point, Dill named his accomplice in the killings as Mr. Lightbourne's son, Roger Jr. Undercover detectives tape-recorded that conversation and it was played to the jury in the trial.

However, in a subsequent Police interview which was also tape-recorded Dill refused to speak about this, beyond confirming there was another man involved. He later changed his story and started blaming Mr. Lightbourne Sr. for the crime.

The Royal Gazette asked Director of Public Prosecutions Rory Field why, in the light of the cell conversation and Police interview concerning Roger Lightbourne Jr., Dill was the only defendant on trial.

Mr. Field replied: "Firstly, you will recollect the summing-up of the learned Chief Justice when he said that confessions in interview are only evidence against the person making the confession. Accordingly, the cell conversation and the Police interview are evidence against Dill, but are not evidence against any second man who he suggested may have been involved.

"Secondly, the prosecution bring criminal cases when they are in the public interest and, importantly, that there's sufficient admissible evidence that the prosecution is satisfied that there would be a reasonable chance of conviction if the case goes to trial. Accordingly, if and when more admissible evidence is collected by the Police, there may then be grounds for a further trial in relation to these two murders."