MURDERER Imtiaz Hussain was today beginning a life sentence for the execution style killing of Iain McKay.

And Hussain, 22, of Walpole Street, Burnley, was told it would be "a substantial period of time" before he would be considered for release.

Hussain was sentenced to life behind bars for murder by Mr Justice Maurice Kay after a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict at Preston Crown Court.

With him in the dock facing sentence were his lover, Victoria McDonald, 20, and step-brother, Aftab Hussain, 24, who had both earlier admitted lying to the police to try to hinder the investigation into the death.

Aftab Hussain, of Branch Road, Burnley, was sentenced to eight months in jail after pleading guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice by disposing of his brother's Honda car, used on the night of the killing.

McDonald, of Victoria Road, Padiham, was given a community rehabilitation order for two years after the judge told her there were exceptional reasons for not sending her to jail.

She had lied to police about the Honda car and about what Imtiaz Hussain was wearing on the night of the murder.

Mr Justice Kay told her: "Your part in this was particularly unfortunate.

"At the behest of your boyfriend with whom you were unwisely besotted you lied to the police.

"All that you did was out of misplaced loyalty."

Sentencing Imtiaz Hussain he said: "You still have not told the whole truth to the police about this matter.

"I do not believe for one moment you were coerced into this, and I believe that you knew others who were there.

"The sentence for murder is fixed by law and is one of life."

Mr Justice Kay said he would be recommending to the Home Secretary that Hussain serve a substantial number of years behind bars. He also commended the police for the thoroughness of their investigation.

Earlier, the jury heard that Iain McKay, a small time drug dealer and bootlegger, had been taken to a remote car park in Netherwood Road, Burnley, and blasted in the back of the head with a shotgun.

At some stage he had been forced to kneel on the ground with his hands crossed over his chest, a pose used in execution style killings.

After the verdict Det Insp Mike Kellett, one of the officers who led the investigation, said: "I am very pleased with the remarks that the judge made in indicating that Imtiaz Hussain would be serving a substantial period of time before he would be considered for release."

He also welcomed the sentence for Aftab Hussain, but said he had no comment to make about the sentence passed on Victoria McDonald.