A fight broke out between two men as they were convicted of the murder of gay eccentric Billy Carmichael.

Police and prison officers jumped into the dock at Lewes Crown Court to separate Richard Price, 25, and Richard Sumner, 35, after a jury yesterday found them guilty of killing the 63-year-old hotel worker.

They had both denied murder.

Both were alcoholics who mixed with drinkers in Brighton and had befriended Mr Carmichael.

They kicked and stamped him to death after a row, put him to bed and left him to die in his blood-splattered flat.

Throughout the two-week trial each blamed the other for the killing.

There was mayhem in court as Price tried to swing a punch at Sumner and called him a grass. The two men shouted obscenities at each other. Sumner was in tears as he called out: "I am doing life because of you."

Female jury members wept as they witnessed the scene just feet in front of them. The jury had spent ten hours considering its verdict over two days.

After order was restored Mrs Justice Rafferty sentenced Sumner and Price to life imprisonment for the murder of Mr Carmichael at his flat in Lower Rock Gardens, Brighton, on November 14, 2000.

She told them: "The undignified death to which you consigned Billy Carmichael was barbaric, obviously fuelled by drink."

This was the second trial the defendants faced for the murder.

A trial was stopped just before Christmas because of the unavailability of witnesses.

Both defendants had moved to Brighton after a variety of jobs. Price, who once worked as a dustman in Eastbourne, lived at the time of the murder in a flat in Denmark Terrace, Brighton. Sumner, who came from Lancashire, was staying in Grand Parade, Brighton.

Hours after attacking Mr Carmichael, Price and Sumner were on the streets of Brighton drinking cans of lager and boasting they had murdered someone.

Sumner was picked up drunk in a Brighton street within 24 hours and Price went to London. He was found walking in the West End.

Forensic tests showed blood on the two men's shoes came from the dead man. Price told the court he hit Mr Carmichael because he was a "child molester" and a "paedophile".

Sumner told the court Price was ordering Mr Carmichael around and hit him with a vase and then started stamping on him. Price said it was Sumner who started stamping on Mr Carmichael's head.

Mr Carmichael worked in several hotels in Brighton and Hove.

He also worked at the White Hart Hotel in Lewes.

Assistant manager Heather Robson said: "He was a lovely bloke. We used to have him work here for special functions.

"He was always very smart."