A NORTH-EAST man convicted of killing a 73-year-old paedophile in a retribution attack had his murder conviction upheld by Appeal Court judges yesterday.

Adrian Leslie Brown, 43, of High Street, Redcar, east Cleveland, was jailed for life by Teesside Crown Court in July last year after a jury convicted him of murdering Arnold Hartley.

Mr Hartley was beaten to death when Brown kicked his way into his house in Queen Street, Redcar, in November 2003.

At the trial, Brown denied going into the house, and blamed a co-accused.

However, a witness who said she followed Brown into the house after she heard Hartley's screams for help, said she saw Hartley lying on the floor, with Brown "stamping down very hard on his face".

Lord Justice Tuckey, who dismissed Brown's application for permission to appeal, said Mr Hartley had in the past been convicted of sexual offences against children and was targeted by Brown after he spent a night drinking in the town.

A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Hartley died from asphyxiation, having swallowed blood when his nose was smashed in Brown's assault.

He had been repeatedly punched and kicked, with heavy bruises to his face.

Lord Justice Tuckey, sitting with Mr Justice David Steel and Mrs Justice Gloster, said Brown sought permission to appeal on the basis of inadequate jury directions by the trial judge.

But he ruled that the judge's directions were sufficient.