TWO men from Mozambique have been found guilty of murdering a former Burnley businessman in front of his wife and children in South Africa.

Petro Markel, 27, and Christovao Fresco Ndima, 20, were jailed for life at the High Court in Pretoria for killing 41-year-old Fred Picton-Turbervill at his home in January last year, and robbing him.

In the “shocking” murder Mr Picton-Turbervill, the former Burnley RUFC captain, was shot in the head during a raid in January 2008.

The shooting happened in front of his distraught wife Ursula, 41, and children Samantha, 10, Bryony, nine, Natasha, six, and Gregory, three.

The family, who had lived in Sabden, emigrated to South Africa in 2003 to start a new life.

Mr Picton-Turbervill died in hospital shortly after being shot.

During the trial, Mrs Picton-Turbervill identified Markel as the man who had pulled the trigger without any provocation.

The court heard how Ndima assaulted and searched her husband before Markel shot him in the head.

She was forced to accompany Ndima while he searched the house for valuables, while Markel held the children at gunpoint.

Markel and Ndima claimed to have been elsewhere at the time of the robbery and that they did not know each other. But Markel had one of Mr Picton-Turbervill’s daughter’s mobile phones in his posssession.

The judge rejected the claims of the two accused that they did not know each other and were not involved in the murder.

Passing sentence, Judge Makgoba said it was shocking to learn that people were no longer safe in their own homes.

“Perhaps you thought... South Africa was a land of milk and honey and crime pays here,” the judge said.

“I assure you this court will do its duty to show crime does not pay.”

After the case, Mrs Picton-Turbervill expressed relief about the sentences, saying justice had prevailed.

She said her children were doing well and could now rest assured that their father’s attackers had been punished.

Mr Picton-Turbervill was well known in Burnley after working for 15 years at a Sabden upholstery firm before setting up his own furniture design firm.