A CONMAN has been jailed for life and told he will serve at least 40 years before can be paroled after he carried out the cold-blooded execution of his parents to collect a £230,000 inheritance.

Convicted fraudster Stephen Seddon, 46, continued to deny his guilt, shaking his head and shouting: "I'm an innocent man," as he was told he will be aged 86 before he will be eligible for release.

He had tried to murder his father, Robert Seddon, 68, and mother, Patricia, 65, by driving into a canal with them strapped in the back seats in a faked road accident.

Seddon then "played the hero" in the aftermath, boasting of his supposed rescue attempts after aborting the murder plan when bystanders went to their aid in the submerged car.

But after that plan failed, four months later the father-of-three blasted the couple to death with a sawn-off shotgun at their suburban home in Sale, Greater Manchester.

His parents had made him sole beneficiary of their £230,000 estate in their will - and paid with their lives.

Seddon , from Seaham, County Durham, was given a mandatory life sentence for two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder after being convicted by a jury at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, March 27).

Passing sentence today, Mr Justice Hamblen told the defendant that in Greek mythology men who killed their own parents suffered eternally "throughout time... it being recognised as a terrible crime".

At one point Seddon shouted from the dock: "No, not at all, they were not murdered by me at all. I'm an innocent man."

But the judge told him to "keep quiet" and continued his sentencing remarks.

"In effect you have executed your own parents," he told Seddon.

"One can only imagine the horror of your parents' last moments in this life, when they realised what a monster their son, whom they loved, had become.

"Mercifully their deaths were swift.

"The reason for the attempted murders and the murders was greed. You needed money. You had lost your job. You had a mortgage. You had a family to support. You had some grand plans.

"Despite the fact that your parents had always been very generous in supporting you, you wanted more and you wanted it now - hence the plan to kill them and get your inheritance up front.”

Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, described him as the ultimate "ungrateful son" who had an "insatiable thirst for cash".

His elderly and caring parents had already gifted him £40,000 in cash and bought his home in Seaham, Co Durham, to keep a roof over his head.

Pc Bryn Jones, the family liaison officer, read out a statement on behalf of the Seddon family.

It read: "The past nine months have been a very sad and emotional time for our family.

"The shock of having both Pat and Bob taken from us in such horrifying and tragic circumstances has left us feeling numb.

"Pat and Bob were a kind, loving and selfless couple who will be missed by their family, friends and especially their grandson Daniel, who they cared for with great love and affection.”