Daniel Palmer found guilty of Portuguese man's murder
A man has been found guilty of the murder of a Portuguese immigrant who was about to travel home after failing to find work in the UK.
Joao Esteves, 45, from Lisbon, was found with head injuries in Crawley on 19 January.
Daniel Palmer, 24, from Station Hill, Crawley, was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 15 years.
Police said Palmer filmed his victim after the attack and sent the footage to friends "almost as a trophy".
Mr Esteves had been in the UK for less than a week when he was killed, between Stephenson Way and Haslett Avenue East.Eight pints
A video and a number of photographs of the victim lying unconscious were found on Palmer's mobile phone, the court was told.
Palmer later claimed these had been taken accidentally after he had defended himself from an attack by Mr Esteves.
The court heard that on the night of Mr Esteves' death, Palmer had drunk about eight pints of beer, had threatened to punch one man, and was thrown out of a bar in Crawley after getting into a fight with another.
Following the attack on Mr Esteves, Palmer went home and washed and changed his clothes, Sussex Police said.
He went back to the scene several hours later and spoke to police officers who were sealing off the area.
Det Ch Insp Jason Taylor said: "He refused to answer questions about the attack but we were able to prove with CCTV, DNA evidence and witnesses that he caused Mr Esteves' terrible injuries.
"He even took photographs and filmed his victim after he had carried out the attack that he sent to friends almost as a trophy, as if to brag about what he had done."
Mr Esteves had been in the UK for just a few days and, after failing to find work, was trying to return home to Portugal.
The court was told that on the night of his death, Mr Esteves had approached the Crawley Open House shelter for the homeless but they had no room.
He was advised to sleep outside until the morning, the court heard.