TWO baby-faced brothers who "acted like animals" when they murdered a man during a violent rampage in Newbury have been jailed for life.

Joshua Anderson was told he must serve at least 23 years and Matthew Anderson faces a minimum of 22 years inside for stabbing 38-year-old Darren Lock to death in his flat on March 16 during a 24-hour terror spree.

The Reading Crown Court jury reached its guilty verdicts on Monday after three days of deliberations lasting 22 hours 16 minutes.

Stifled jeers came from the public gallery as defence barristers read apologies from each of the brothers, who sat expressionless as Judge John Reddihough passed sentence.

He told them: "It is no exaggeration to say that you acted like animals in the flat of the deceased."

Joshua Anderson was also sentenced to 23 years in prison for the attempted murder of 33-year-old Daniel Black, nine months for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and a month for common assault.

Matthew Anderson was additionally jailed for 12 years for wounding Mr Black with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and 12 months for causing him actual bodily harm. All sentences will run concurrently.

The jury heard during the five-week trial about long-standing bad blood between the Anderson and Black families and that the brothers had threatened to "smash up the Blacks" on the morning of the murder. They later went to Mr Lock's flat in Newbury's Queen's Road and launched a savage attack on him and friend Daniel Black.

Matthew Anderson slashed Mr Lock 14 times with a knife and he bled to death from a wound to his right calf. Daniel Black was stabbed in the chest, stomach and eye by Joshua Anderson before fleeing for his life.

Both brothers, of no fixed address, later attacked a pub-goer near The Plough on the Green in Newbury.

Judge Reddihough added: "As if what you did in the flat was not bad enough, you then both engaged in gratuitous violence against others who had the misfortune to cross your paths.

"I understand that you show some remorse, but it's rather too late for that now."

In a statement, Mr Lock's family said: "There are no words to express our feelings for the two defendants. Not only did they take Darren's life, they changed ours completely."

A third defendant, Dean Robinson, 32, also of no fixed address, was cleared on Monday of murdering Mr Lock, attempting to murder Mr Black and wounding him with intent to cause GBH.