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A man and a woman who committed murder and tried to conceal their victim's body in a large suitcase have been jailed for life.
David John Hardman, 51, of Victoria Street, Openshaw, and Tracy Elizabeth Hurrell, 33, were convicted of murdering 49-year-old Lionel Morl following a trial at Preston Crown Court.
Hurrell, of no fixed address, was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
Both have now been sentenced to life imprisonment, and must serve a minimum of 23 years before being eligible for parole.
On the evening of Thursday 11th August last year, Police officers who were responding to reports of a burglary in a flat neighbouring Hardman's.
After they had arrived on the scene, the occupants informed them that they had heard from Hurrell that her partner was keeping a dead body in his flat.
Officers went to the Hardman's flat and noticed a foul smell emanating from within. After knocking on the door, they saw Hardman hiding in the hallway. He eventually let them in.
When quizzed about the stench, he claimed that it was coming from an abscess on his foot.
However, when the officers entered the bathroom, they found a suitcase swarming with flies and crawling with maggots. Inside they found a decomposing body later identified as Morl. He had been dead for around two weeks.
The victim was killed in what has been described as a "violent" attack, in which he was beaten and stabbed.
Morl was a transsexual who lived in the area, known to locals as Suzie. At the time of his death, Hardman and Hurrell were stealing his benefits, and continued to do so after he had died.
Hurrell is believed to have stolen his while staying at his flat. Morl reportedly told friends that he had taken pity on her and allowed her to live there temporarily.
When he asked he to leave in July last year she is said to have become violent and abusive.
At 4.46pm on 28th July 2011, Hardman and Hurrell attempted to withdraw money from Lionel's account at Openshaw Post Office, but his account was empty.
Morl was visiting a friend at that time, and planned to leave temporarily to retrieve his glasses from his flat. He departed at 5.30pm but was never seen alive again.
At 07.57 on 31 July 2011, two people, thought to be the defendants, were caught on CCTV wheeling a large suitcase. Morl's body is believed to be been inside.
Senior Investigating Officer, Andy Tattersall, said: "Hurrell and Hardman were both dependant on alcohol and drugs and went to desperate lengths to obtain cash to fund their habits. This is reflected in the theft of Lionel's benefits before and after they killed him.
"Each blames the other for what happened and both have fabricated different stories so we might never know exactly what happened and why.
"What we do know is that from start to finish, they worked together: in stealing Lionel's benefits, in his violent murder and in trying to hide his body.
"Lionel was a popular member of the community who was in the process of re-contacting his siblings when he was murdered. Sadly they never got the opportunity to reunite, but I hope they find comfort in today's sentencing."
