A man has been convicted of the savage murder of a "quiet" 38-year-old man in which he booted the victim as he laid on the floor - after an argument over childcare.

The bust up with Avrimus Vilius, 25, was about babysitting a friend's daughter but led to the victim dying from a head wound.

His pal Klaudijus Klimanskis, 41, was cleared of murder but found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent of Edvardus Barcevicius in July last year.

The nine-man jury at Canterbury Crown Court had spent near 20 hours considering the verdicts at the end of the five-week trial.

Judge Heather Norton praised the 11-strong jury of its "assiduous and conscientious" approach to what "was a deeply unpleasant or maybe shocking" trial.

Mr Barcevicius’s battered body was discovered under a duvet on a sofa in a room in Ethelbert Terrace.

An eye witness had revealed how the victim was kicked in the head "Alan Shearer taking a penalty".

But Vilius claimed he could not remember any earlier incidents and said that as he walked into his flat later that night and was struck by a mystery person.

He told the jury: “I saw in the shadows some person who was attacking me. I started defending myself. It was only later I realised that it was Edvardus.”

Lithuanian Vilius, who came to the UK when he was 13, said he fought back and struck his attacker in the stomach.

“As he bent forward, I kicked him hard in the head with (my shin).”

Vilius, of Cornwall Gardens and Klaudijus Klimanskis, of Athelstan Road, both Margate had both denied causing the fatal injuries.

Vilius was also convicted of an assault on another man earlier that night. Both will be sentenced later.