'Do you want to kill my dad for £5k?' Son punched father to death after sick Facebook offer

A son who previously offered £5,000 on Facebook for someone to kill his dad has been found guilty of his murder after punching him to death.

Austin Duckworth breached his bail conditions by attending the home of his father Stephen Duckworth in Preston on August 26 last year and forcing his way in.

Once inside, Austin, 37, repeatedly punched 72 year-old Stephen in the head. He told him that he 'better call an ambulance' as he walked away.

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After dialling 999 and telling police what happened, Stephen initially declined medical attention. But he felt increasingly unwell as the day progressed, resulting in him calling for an ambulance later that same evening.

He was taken to hospital where it was discovered that he had a 'devastating bleed to the brain'. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, Stephen died from his injuries on October 12, 2023, Lancs Live report.

A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of Stephen's death was blunt force head trauma. After a five-day trial at Preston Crown Court, Austin Duckworth, of no fixed address, was today (Friday, April 12) found guilty of murder.

Speaking following the veridct, Det Ch Insp Jill Riley, from Lancashire Police's Force Major Investigation Team, said: "This is a tragic case involving the death of a 72-year-old man, in his own home, at the hands of his son.

"Austin Duckworth set about punching his elderly father to the head and face and continued to do so as he fell to his knees and sought to protect himself from the blows with his arms.

"This was a callous and violent attack and one which left Stephen with non-survivable injuries. This is a