Rotherham car thief David Sindall jailed for life for murder
A would-be car thief has been jailed for life for killing a 49-year-old man who confronted him on his driveway as he tried to steal his Range Rover.
David Sindall, from Rotherham, attacked Dean Armitage outside his home in Hoyland, near Barnsley, last July.
Sindall, 34, struck Mr Armitage on the head before punching and kicking him after he fell to the floor.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in jail at Sheffield Crown Court after being found guilty of murder.
The court heard father-of-three Mr Armitage confronted Sindall outside his home on Skiers View Road after Sindall had stolen the keys to his Range Rover on 21 July.
Sindall hit Mr Armitage with a torch causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head.
Mr Armitage died in hospital on 9 August from head injuries.
'Heartbreaking and devastating'
Mr Armitage's wife, son and two daughters, said: "Words cannot begin to describe the suffering and pain we are still feeling. We will never be able to get over the loss of Dean.
"He was a loving husband and dad, providing for his family and working hard to ensure we never went without.
"We can still not believe he will never walk through the door again.
"The loss and emptiness we have in our hearts is a feeling we can never imagine will ever be filled, and not a day goes by without thinking of Dean and how much we all love and miss him."
Det Insp Kevin Brown described the case as "heartbreaking and devastating" for Mr Armitage's family.
Judge Mr Justice Males also activated a nine-month suspended sentence passed in March 2013 for two counts of burglary and two of attempted burglary, and sentenced Sindall to a further nine months in jail for two counts of theft.