Lee Irving: The tragic story of the vulnerable man killed by those who he thought were his friends
Murder victim Lee Irving had been picked on for years because of his learning difficulties, a court was told.
His money, mobile phones and even the clothes he wore would disappear when he went out of the house.
Born in 1991, Lee's profound learning difficulties were diagnosed in early childhood and he was six or seven before he spoke.
Other children picked on him and when he was older he would ask his mother Beverley what it meant when he was called "backward."
Lee did not know how to manage money and once when he was paid £500 in back benefits, that cash was quickly taken from him by others living locally.
Robert Smith QC, prosecuting, told the court during the trial: "It was all taken from him and he couldn't explain to his mother what had happened to it."
He said more than once, new clothes Lee's mother bought him were stolen and it was the same with mobile phones.
After leaving special school aged 19, Lee would disappear from home andhis mother would report him missing and scour Newcastle city centre for him.
Nicole Lawrence persuaded his mother to pass on bank details, claiming Lee was living with her.
That allowed Lee's eventual killer James Wheatley to sign him up for online banking so they could steal his money.
His disability also meant he was unable to defend himself from Wheatley'smerciless attacks.
Lee's badly beaten body was discovered on June 6 last year.
A post-mortem examination revealed he had been severely beaten on at least two different occasions and he died as a result of his injuries.
They included 27 separate rib fractures, multiple bruises to his limbs andbody, cuts and broken bones in his face.
Traces of drugs were found in his system and he had been sedated to mask his painful injuries and to prevent him from leaving the house.
Lee did not go out over a nine day period and the defendants knew aboutthe dreadful abuse he had suffered in that time.
All four are now behind bars for their involvement.