The heartbroken family of Carlos Boyce described him as a ‘hero’ and a ‘ray of sunshine’ as they watched two men get jailed for life for the brutal murder of the father-of-one.

Lee Hogg and Terry Dalton left to 36-year-old to die after trying to wash away evidence by dousing him with scalding hit water.

The pair also violently attacked Joseph Spencer when he tried to intervene and they battered him unconscious with a vodka bottle.

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced them to a minimum of 20 years after listening to the family of Mr Boyce speak of the devastation his death has wrought on them all.

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In a victim impact statement, Mr Boyce’s son Jaden spoke of losing his hero when his father was cruelly beaten to death.

The Northern Echo: Carlos Boyce with his son JadenCarlos Boyce with his son Jaden (Image: Contributor)

He wrote: “My father was my hero; he meant the world to me. He was my number one. He had the most beautiful heart and smile in the world. It's been six months since he was taken from us and it harder and harder as the days go by.

“You are missed and loved more than you will ever know - my hero.”

And the family also issued a statement through the court, they said: “Our family has been torn apart in losing Carlos to this wicked crime.

“As a family we have lost the most loving, heart and soul of our family. Our hearts are filled with pure anguish and it affects all of our family.

“He was our ray of sunshine and we loved him with all of our hearts.”

The court heard how the family had suffered a number of tragic events in the wake of their beloved Carlos’ murder.

Mr Spencer said ‘the scars on my face’ are a constant reminder of what happened on November 11 last year inside his flat on Homerton Road, Ormesby, where the fatal attack happened.

The Northern Echo: Lee HoggLee Hogg (Image: Contributor)

Hogg, 38, of Lindisfarne Road, Ormesby, was jailed for a minimum of 21 years in custody while 53-year-old Dalton, of Ellerbeck Way, Ormesby, was told he would serve a minimum of 20 years, for the murder of Mr Boyce and for inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Spencer.

The Northern Echo: Terry DaltonTerry Dalton (Image: Contributor)

Speaking after sentencing Senior Investigating Officer, Temporary Detective Superintendent Chris Motson said: “We’ll never know precisely what happened inside that address on that day, but the two men were clearly subjected to an extremely violent assault which tragically resulted in Carlos losing his life.

“Hogg and Dalton inflicted multiple injuries in a sustained and violent attack and then did nothing to seek help for the victims, despite knowing the severity of their attack.

“Instead, they chose to prioritise continuing their drug misuse while they did what they could to evade capture. Since their arrest they’ve remained unrepentant and in denial of what they did.

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“We are pleased that justice has been served today, my thoughts and the thoughts of my team remain with Carlos’s family and friends who have suffered the most unimaginable loss of their son, father, brother and cousin.

"While no verdict will ever be enough justice for them, I hope they take some solace in knowing these violent individuals will spend a lengthy period of their life behind bars.

“Over the last three weeks family and friends have had to relive the tragic events, at times in graphic detail as they attended court for this trial. I’d like to commend their courage in doing so and the dignity that they’ve shown throughout the proceedings.”