Greig Maddock and Bryan Boyle were both found guilty of murder

Bryan Boyle, 18, and Greig Maddock, 21, set fire to Brian Bowie, 35, after dragging him from a flat in Dunfermline, Fife, last October.

Mr Bowie, who survived for five days after the attack, was found lying in a pool of blood on top of burning debris.

The judge said a life sentence was mandatory but deferred fixing the minimum term to be served until background reports were prepared.

The High Court in Edinburgh had been told Mr Bowie was murdered for "having a drink too many" on the night he was due to attend his older brother's 40th birthday party.

The married man, who had daughters aged 13 and 17, suffered 32% full thickness burns to his body and died despite surgeons amputating an arm.

We feel we have been vindicated and feel justice has been done today. We were not looking for revenge. We were looking for justice James Bowie

A pathologist told the trial that because of the severity and depth of the burns the wounds were "unsurvivable".

Mr Bowie, of Iona Road, Dunfermline, had earlier been attacked with a bottle and repeatedly hit on the head with the weapon.

He was also kicked and stamped on by Boyle.

The victim was then dragged in an unconscious or semi-conscious state out of flats.

He was knifed in the thigh leaving a deep wound that damaged a major vein and was subjected to a further beating.

Mr Bowie, who had suffered a serious head injury including a fractured skull and brain injury, was doused with lighter fuel and set on fire in a bid to get rid of him.

He was discovered by youngsters and a 999 call was made.

Minimum term

Boyle and Maddock had denied murdering Mr Bowie.

Boyle was unanimously convicted of carrying out the murder by attacking Mr Bowie with weapons, kicking and stamping on his head and setting him alight.

His co-accused and best friend, Maddock, was found guilty by a majority verdict of the jury of carrying out the murder by pouring accelerant on him and setting it on fire.

The pair, who both have previous convictions for assault, were both on probation at the time they committed the murder.

After the verdicts Mr Bowie's father, James, 64, said: "We feel we have been vindicated and feel justice has been done today. We were not looking for revenge. We were looking for justice."

After the verdicts the judge told Boyle and Maddock: "You have both been convicted of the crime of murder and there is only one sentence open to the court."