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Life sentence for man who murdered Portuguese man

A 24-year-old man has been convicted of battering to death a Portuguese man he found wandering the streets in Crawley.

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  1. Tom Savvides

Thug jailed for killing Portuguese man in Crawley

He'd been in the country for only a few days when he was attacked and killed on the streets of Crawley.

Today a 24-year-old man was jailed for life for murdering Joao Esteves, a Portuguese national who had travelled to England for a job interview.

Daniel Palmer filmed the attack on his mobile phone and sent pictures boasting of what he'd done. A friend who saw them alerted the police.

Tom Savvides has our report with an interview with Detective Chief Inspector Jason Taylor of Sussex Police.

Joao Esteves travelled to Crawley for a job interview

Joao Esteves had travelled to Britain from Portugal for a job interview Credit: Sussex Police

Joao Esteves, 45, from Lisbon in Portugal, had travelled to Britain from Portugal for a job interview but did not have anywhere to stay and was preparing to sleep rough for the night before catching a return flight home from Gatwick.

His body was found at 3.25am on 19 January.

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Portuguese man killed in 'unprovoked' attack

"Palmer carried out a cowardly and vicious attack on Joao Esteves, who had done nothing to provoke him.

He refused to answer questions about the attack but we were able to prove with CCTV, DNA evidence and witnesses that he caused Mr Esteves terrible injuries.

Palmer later claimed that he had only acted in self defence, despite the fact that he assaulted Mr Esteves at two different locations.

He even took photographs and filmed his victim after he had carried out the attack that he sent to friends almost as a trophy, as if to brag about what he had done.

Mr Esteves was an innocent visitor to Sussex who had the misfortune to come across a violent thug who took his life."

– Detective Chief Inspector Jason Taylor, Sussex Police

Guilty of murder - The man who took photos of his dying victim.

Daniel Palmer will serve a minimum of 15 years. Credit: Sussex Police

A 24-year-old man has been convicted of battering to death a Portuguese man he found wandering the streets in Crawley.

Daniel Palmer repeatedly punched Joao Esteves, 45, on the forecourt of Kwik Fit, off Haslett Avenue East, on Saturday 18 January before leading his victim to a nearby alleyway where he continued with the assault.

He filmed the injured Mr Esteves using his mobile phone after the attack.

The body of Mr Esteves, from the Lisbon area of Portugal, was found on 19 January. He was taken to hospital suffering from serious head injuries but died later.

Mr Esteves had travelled to Britain from Portugal for a job interview but did not have anywhere to stay and was preparing to sleep rough for the night before catching a return flight home from Gatwick.

Palmer was jailed for life and told he would serve a minimum of 15 years.

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