Three teenagers have been jailed for life for bludgeoning a father to death with baseball bats.

Gary Rae, 40, was brutally attacked by the gang after being lured out of his flat in High Street, Hailsham, on May 29 last year.

Jealous William Devall, 19, wrongly thought his on-off girlfriend Amy Heaseman was sleeping with divorcee Mr Rae and got together with other teenagers to attack him.

Mr Rae, 40, was beaten and kicked to death.

Paul Lewis, QC, prosecuting, said during their trial at Lewes Crown Court they had descended "like jackals" on the father-of-two.

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall said yesterday they had "glorified" in the savage and brutal killing by boasting about what they had done afterwards. He added that Mr Rae had suffered a "protracted and painful death".

William Devall, 19, Luke Jones, 18, both of Meadow Road, Hailsham, and Ahmet Gordon, 16, of Swan Road, Hailsham, were convicted of murder last month.

Jason Jackson, 18, of Albert Road, Polegate, was found guilty of manslaughter after the ten-week trial costing more than £1.5million. He will be sentenced later.

Shane Challice, 19, of South Road, Hailsham, and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named, were cleared of murder.

Mr Rae died from massive internal bleeding after Devall and Jones battered him with baseball bats.

One kidney was severed from its artery and his liver was split, causing him to lose half the blood in his body.

He died as a result of Devall's obsessive jealousy over his 18-year-old former girlfriend. He was convicted of assaulting her two years ago and assaulted her again twice outside Mr Rae's flat in the two days before the attack. She said that Devall had threatened to kill Mr Rae the night before he died.

Devall must serve at least 14 years before he is considered for release and Jones 12 years. Gordon, who was just 15 at the time of the killing, will serve at least nine years.

Simon Russell-Flint, defending, said: "William Devall did not intend that Gary Rae should be killed that night."

Anesta Weekes, QC, said Jones had admitted responsibility for his part in the killing by pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Peter Rouch, QC, said Gordon was immature and had looked up to the others.

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall said: "The three of you in the presence of others boasted of what you were going to do to Gary Rae.

"You three later boasted about what you had done. It was clear you had glorified in this quite dreadful assault."