THIS is the moment a brutal killer was caught on CCTV, shadow boxing as he made his way home after stamping repeatedly on his vulnerable victim’s head.

Duncan Hearsey, 45, was yesterday jailed for 21 years for murdering Alan Creasey at his home in Ingleside Crescent, Lancing, on May Bank Holiday Monday.

Drunken odd job man Hearsey had been making a nuisance of himself and was involved in drunken arguments throughout the afternoon and evening of May 29 before he visited his “vulnerable and isolated” victim to try to retrieve a £40 debt he believed Mr Creasey owed him for some gardening work.

Hearsey went into his home uninvited and when his much smaller opponent picked up a paint scraper to defend himself, Hearsey punched him then kicked or stamped on his head repeatedly as he lay defenceless on the floor.

An hour and 45 minutes later Hearsey is seen on CCTV, jubilantly punching the air as he heads home to Emerald Quay, Shoreham.

Jailing Hearsey for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Lewes Crown Court yesterday Judge Jeffery Gold QC said: “You were drunk and in an aggressive and confrontational mood.

“You had spent much of that Bank Holiday Monday in local pubs making a nuisance of yourself.

“The police had been called from two local pubs as well as a kebab shop where you had been involved in drunken arguments and this was all before you decided to pay Mr Creasey a visit.

“On your first visit to his address you entered his house and he phoned the police.

“There was clearly some sort of fight before you left.

“You cycled away but you decided to go back to confront him.

“Precisely what happened or was said on your return is something that only you know, but you brutally punched him to the ground and kicked and stamped on him causing catastrophic brain injuries.

“You then rode home on your bike disposing of your blood-stained boots and gloves on the beach.

“In recent times, you have clearly developed a reputation as a man who is abusive and aggressive when drunk.”

POLICE ‘DIVERTED’ DURING ATTACK

DUNCAN Hearsey spent May Bank Holiday having drunken arguments and aggressive confrontations before he kicked Alan Creasey to death.

He was spoiling for a fight, the court was told. Hearsey was known to be aggressive and had racked up a string of 46 criminal convictions.

He had been drinking since 11am and then, at The Railway pub in South Street, Lancing, he threatened to burn the barmaid’s house down and was asked to leave. When he refused, bar staff called 999.

When he eventually left, they rang the police back to tell them he had gone so no officers attended.

He continued on to the Andreas kebab shop. There staff also called 999 after Hearsey got into a scuffle and a window was broken.

En route to respond, officers were diverted to a cardiac arrest at Lancing Railway Station as the closest emergency service to a potentially life-threatening situation.

Officers were commended by the ambulance service for carrying out CPR, taking over from a member of the public until paramedics arrived.

Meanwhile, Hearsey, still spoiling for a fight, carried on to The Farmers pub. When staff refused to serve him he threatened to cut a barmaid’s face off.

Again the police were called – but again they were called back later when he left and no police officer attended.

At 8.15pm Mr Creasy called police to report an intruder was attacking him.

In another 999 call, Mr Creasey is heard telling the intruder to go away and Hearsey’s distinctive voice is heard to threaten “I’ll break your neck”.

Finally officers did arrive, then after advising Mr Creasey to lock his doors, they responded to earlier reports from Andreas kebabs and The Farmers and went in search of Hearsey, but did not find him.

Hearsey was seen on CCTV cycling away then turning around and cycling back.

He said he had seen the police and waited for them to leave before going back into Mr Creasey’s bungalow.

When the officers returned to take a statement, they found Mr Creasey mortally wounded.

Detective Chief Inspector Till Sanderson said: “It is tragically unfortunate that we were unable to trace Hearsey before he killed his victim, however we cannot be certain that we would have caught him had we responded immediately to the earlier reports of disturbance in the town.

“Our officers’ attention was diverted to a medical emergency, which was considered a higher priority given the circumstances and information made available to us at the time.

“Through his movements captured on CCTV, we believe Hearsey carried out the attack between approximately 8.30pm and 9.10pm – this is between the time we left Mr Creasey’s address to continue enquiries in the town and search for Hearsey, and the time we returned to Mr Creasey’s address to carry out a welfare check.”