TWO men are facing life sentences after being found guilty of murdering a defenceless labourer as he came home from a night out.

Asif Rehman, 20, and Adel Ishaq, 19, beat William McKeeney to death "as if breaking up furniture" as his partner watched from her window.

Mr McKeeney, 57 – described as "a pal to everyone" – was repeatedly punched, kicked and stamp-ed to death, with injuries so severe that footprints were left on his head.

Moments before the attack on January 15 he had phoned girlfriend Anne Marie Newlands to say he was coming home with a fish supper. Miss Newlands, 48, had described seeing "two Asian men stamping on something" outside the couple's flat in Pollokshields, Glasgow.

She made out a dark object on the ground and rushed out to discover her partner of 12 years lying fatally injured.

"He was very battered and the side of his face was all swollen," she told the High Court at Kilmarnock.

Advocate depute Tim Niven Smith said the victim was "yards from the sanctuary of his home" when he was attacked.

Mr McKeeney's final words were captured on one of the accused's mobiles as he asked them: "What's the problem, lads?"

Imran Khan, 19, earlier told the court Rehman phoned to say he and Ishaq had just "splattered" someone in the street.

Boyhood friends Rehman and Ishaq bowed their heads but showed no emotion as the jury verdicts were read out.

The jury took two hours and 50 minutes the find Rehman guilty unanimously and Ishaq guilty by a majority. A racially-aggravated element of the charge was deleted.

Judge Lord Uist said that because both accused were under 21 he was obliged to order social inquiry reports before fixing the punishment part of their sentences.

After the verdicts were announced the jury forewoman looked towards Miss Newlands, who wept.

She had watched the trial with other members of Mr McKeeney's family, who travelled from as far away as the US and Ireland.

Kathleen Gallagher, a niece of Mr McKeeney, who was originally from County Donegal, said her uncle was "a lovely man and a pal to everyone".

Outside the court, she said: "Today marks the end of the trial for Willie's murder. It does not end the pain or the loss that we as a family feel, that will never end.

"Willie was a gentleman, always up for a good time.

"We feel that the punishment these men will receive will not be enough, however we hope that these proceedings will stop this from happening to another family."