Sunderland murderer Wayne Miller to learn his fate after beating Andrew Mather to death

Wayne Miller was convicted by a jury last week of murdering Andrew Mather after attacking him twice on the same night and leaving him for dead inside his Sunderland home with serious head injuries.

He even took a “trophy photo” of his victim on his phone before emergency services rushed to the property after he later rang the police out of supposed concern for Mr Mather.

Miller, 32, of Dene Street, Sunderland, will return to Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, December 15, to learn the exact terms of his life sentence.

Judge Paul Sloan told him at last week’s hearing: "You will be aware there is only one sentence that can be imposed in the offence of murder and that is a sentence of life imprisonment."

The six-day trial heard there had been ill-feeling between the families of Miller’s girlfriend and Mr Mather which came to a head on the evening of June 2.

Neighbours heard screaming and arguing at the 48-year-old victim’s home in Aintree Road, Farringdon, around 7.30pm before seeing Miller and his girlfriend walking away from the address at about 9pm.

Less than an hour later Miller was seen returning alone to the property to inflict the fatal blows while wearing different clothes.

In the 999 call the following day, Miller, who claimed to have acted out of self defence, said: “I had a fight with him last night and I’ve knocked on the door and there’s no answer and I’m worried about him.

"He punched into me, I punched back into him and I’m just worried there’s no answer at the door.

"I just hope he hasn’t keeled over.”

When asked by the operator if Mr Mather was fine when he last saw him the previous day, Miller replied: “Yeah he was fine the last time I seen him.”

Detective Inspector Graeme Barr, of Northumbria Police’s homicide and major enquiry team, said after the verdict: “His actions were cold and sinister and I am pleased that his attempts to convince everyone that they were out of self-defence have been dismissed."

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.