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A Polish man has been found guilty of murdering an elderly Italian
couple in a "brutal and savage" attack after they caught him burgling
their home.

Giuseppe Massaro, 80, and his wife Caterina, 77,
suffered "dreadful" injuries after they were hit over the head with a
hammer and stabbed by Ireneusz Bartnowski, 22.

Bartnowski was sentenced to life behind bars, and ordered to serve a minimum term of 34 years.

The couples' bodies were discovered by granddaughter Lindsey Booth on Good
Friday in April last year at Woden Road, Wolverhampton.

Bartnowski, who had a previous conviction for burglary in Poland, told the court
through an interpreter that he had started taking crack cocaine days
before the double murder.

His blood was found on both murder weapons, his fingerprints were
discovered on documents in the couple's house and his DNA was found in
the pocket of Guiseppe Massaro.

Rosa Carella, 29, also granddaughter to the victims, said she was "disgusted" by the murders.

She said of Bartnowski: "There is not a word to describe him in any
dictionary. He is a vile, disgusting man basically and I hope he gets
what he deserves."

Superintendent Keith Wilson, senior
investigating officer in the case, said: "Throughout all the police
interviews he said 'No comment', except in July when he requested the
interview with us.

"He has shown no remorse whatsoever and I think he is a cowardly individual who has committed an evil, evil attack.