A MAN who claimed to have heard ghosts in his head has been given life imprisonment with a minimum of 15 years for murdering his friend.

Jamie Hughes, 33, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to battering Paul Tully, 35, to death in his home on Beacon Grove in Blackbrook last August.

In a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court today prosecutors said Hughes left Mr Tully for dead at a flat before returning and trying in vain to resuscitate him, reports the Liverpol Echo.

In a statement released last year, Paul's family, said: "Paul was always polite to people such as his neighbours and local shop keepers.

"He would always pay back any money he owed, even a couple of pence to shops from previous visits.

"Paul was no angel and has been through some hard times with all his family but he was a likeable lad with a cheeky smile and we all loved him.

"He loved reading and writing short stories and listening to talk radio. He will be missed greatly by all his family and will always be loved by us all. "