CALLOUS couple Shaun and Petra Stokes are behind bars for life after being jailed for killing Tom Holt for his inheritance.

Shaun Stokes showed no emotion when Judge Alistair McCreath told him it would be 24 years before the parole board could consider his release.

But his Slovakian-born common-law wife Petra (pictured) wept continuously and held her head in her hands as she was jailed for a minimum of 19 years.

The pair had denied murdering Mr Holt who was attacked in the back of their Volvo car before being dumped in the River Frome at Avenbury in September last year.

Tom's family are now hoping the guilty verdicts will allow them to put the nightmare behind them.

Dad Gordon says it is a tragedy the shy, young man from May Hill started taking the drugs that brought him into contact with the likes of Shaun Stokes in the first place.

Building labourer Shaun Stokes, 32, used Mr Holt's bank card 24 times to siphon more than £7,000 and was caught by making a £300 withdrawal in disguise.

Defence lawyers said drugs had been the downfall of a man of previous good character and tried to portray Petra a "junior partner".

But after a five-week trial the jury took 13 hours to convict the pair, of Hasnett Road, Ledbury, of murder.

Jailing Stokes the judge said the attack had been "persistent in its brutality" and told Petra she must have realised the risk.

Her parents are unlikely to be able to travel from Slovakia to visit their daughter who met Stokes while lodging and working at the Ring of Bells pub in Ledbury.

Their daughter Jessica was born on August 2008 but the couple continued to take Ecstasy, amphetamine, cannabis and crack cocaine.

Tom's dad thanked West Mercia police for their highly professional operation and Tom's friends in providing evidence.