These are the glowering eyes of murderer David Munley, branded "evil" for his callous killing of a pensioner.

Odd job man Munley woke up to a life behind bars today after being found guilty of murdering Jean Barnes, 87.

Munley - who systematically burgled her home both before and after he killed her - went white and put his hands to his head when the jury delivered its verdict.

Last night Miss Barnes' nephew, Jeremy Winn, 60, said: "I feel nothing but contempt for this evil man. He is a swine.

"My aunt was a brilliant woman who led a very interesting life. I hope he spends his time in jail realising what he has done in ending the life of a very fine woman in this way."

Sentencing him to life imprisonment, Mr Justice Alliott said it was "beyond belief" that Munley - who lived 240 yards away from Miss Barnes' home in Tennyson Road, Worthing - had continued to burgle the home while his victim's body lay there.

Munley, a failed businessman, murdered Jean Barnes with several blows to the head, then returned again and again to plunder valuables from the home while her body lay decomposing in an upstairs room.

He sold the haul in Worthing antique shops. The dealers were not suspicious because Munley, 57, always seemed plausible when he told them the items belonged to his family.

Yesterday his trail of violence and deceit came to an end when he was found guilty of murder, seven counts of burglary and five of forgery after a month-long trial at Lewes Crown Court.

After five hours of deliberation, the jury dismissed Munley's claim he had never been in Miss Barnes's house and the police must have set him up by planting DNA evidence.

The jury found him not guilty of one charge of burglary relating to candlesticks which were never recovered.

Mr Justice Alliott told Munley: "I am prepared to accept this was not in any way a premeditated murder. It was committed by you in some confrontation with the elderly lady.

"The callousness in letting her lie as she fell and your depredation was beyond belief. You have shown no acceptance of guilt and not a flicker of remorse."

The judge commended the actions of Audrey Ridpath of Worthing, who handed police the vital clue which led them to Munley.

She called Crimewatch after watching a TV appeal saying she recognised the writing on forged cheques signed by Munley.

The court heard he had committed a similar forgery to gain access to a friend's bank account and steal hundreds of pounds from it four years ago. She had kept the chequebook.

Last night pensioner Mrs Ridpath said: "I am pleased Munley got what he deserved. I am pleased to have helped. All I did was take a cheque book to the police."

Munley admitted four offences relating to forging cheques and they were allowed to lie on the file.