Headless corpse: five family members convicted

FIVE members of a family were convicted over the death of a man whose headless corpse was found in a lake.

Michael Gilbert, 26, was kept as a slave and tortured before being killed and decapitated then dumped in the Blue Lagoon in Arlesey, Bedfordshire, last year.

Yesterday James Watt, 27, his girlfriend, Natasha Oldfield, 29, and his brother's girlfriend, Nichola Roberts, 21, were unanimously convicted of Mr Gilbert's murder by a jury at Luton Crown Court.

James's brother, Robert Watt, 20, and his mother, Jennifer Smith-Dennis, 58, were also found guilty of familial homicide.

A third brother, Richard Watt, 25, previously admitted familial homicide and perverting the course of justice.

Speaking after the verdicts, Mr Gilbert's family said they were pleased with the result but nothing would bring Michael back.

During the trial, the court heard how "vulnerable" Mr Gilbert was treated as a slave by the family.

Prosecutor Stuart Trimmer QC said he was hit with bats, shot, and stabbed. Beatings were often filmed on mobile phones.

On one occasion he was made to goad a large pet lizard until it attacked him with its tail.