Gavin Alker, 19, was on trial for the killing last July of 18-year-old Michael Causer.

The jury deliberated almost 13 hours before reaching a verdict. Alker stood emotionless in the docket as the verdict was read.

During the trial, the court was told that Alker and Causer were part of a group that had met during a night out at a local pub. After heavy drinking the group went to the home of the grandmother of one of the men to “sleep it off.”

At some point, Alker allegedly discovered from either Causer or one of the other men that Causer was gay.

Prosecutor Richard Pratt told the jury that Alker took a heavy hardbound American history book from a shelf, went into the room where Causer was sleeping and used it to batter Causer’s head. He then beat and kicked him repeatedly.

Pratt told the jury there was only one reason for the attack: “Michael Causer was gay.”

Pratt told the trial that the evidence showed that Alker tried to burn a section of Causer’s leg and prepared to rip his body piercings out with a knife.

At that point, Pratt told the court, as Causer lay unconscious Alker and two other men – Michael Binsteed, 18,  James O’Connor, 19 – decided to dump the body on a street.

They allegedly hoisted the body over a fence and dragged it to the road. Pratt said that Alker then fled and the other two returned to the house and cleaned away evidence. Binsteed called an ambulance.

Paramedics found Causer on the roadway barely breathing and suffering massive brain injuries and was rushed to hospital.  He died eight days later when doctors declared him brain dead and a ventilator was removed.

Alker pleaded not guilty to murder and blamed O’Connor alone for the killing. O’Connor, 19, has already admitted murder.

The murder galvanized Britain’s LGBT community and has drawn comparisons to the murder of  Matthew Shepard in Wyoming in October 1998.

Shepard was a gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten and left to die lashed to a fence on windswept country road. Two men are currently serving life sentences for Shepard’s murder.

Gavin Alker, 19, is on trial for the killing last July of 18-year old Michael Causer.

As the prosecutor laid out the evidence Alker stood quietly in the prisoner’s box.

The court was told that the two men were part of a group that had met during a night out at a local pub. After heavy drinking the group went to the home of one of the men’s grandmother to “sleep it off”.

At some point Alker allegedly discovered from either Causer or one of the other men that Causer was gay.

Alker took a heavy hardbound American history book from a shelf, went into the room where Causer was sleeping and used it to batter Causer’s head. He then beat and kicked him repeatedly the court was told.

Prosecutor Richard Pratt told the jury there was only one reason for the attack: “Michael Causer was gay.”

“As he was subjected to the attack which would ultimately kill him, Gavin Alker was heard to abuse him using anti-gay language, indicating clearly that Michael Causer was being attacked, and was killed, because he was gay.”

Even after Causer fell into a coma the attack did not end.

“‘He’s a little queer,” said Alker, to one of the other men in the house who had gone to see what the noise was.  “He deserves it,” Alker added.

Pratt told the court that the evidence will show that Alker then tried to burn a section of Causer’s leg and prepared to rip his body piercings out with a knife.

At that point though, as Causer lay unconscious Alker and two other men – Michael Binsteed, 18,  James O’Connor, 19 – decided to dump the body on a street.

They hoisted the body over a fence and dragged it to the road. Alker then fled and the other two returned to the house and cleaned away evidence. Binsteed called an ambulance.

Paramedics found Causer on the roadway barely breathing and suffering massive brain injuries and was rushed to hospital.  He died eight days later when doctors declared him brain dead and a ventilator was removed.

Alker has pleaded not guilty to murder and has blamed Binsteed and O’Connor for the killing.

The killing galvanized Britain’s LGBT community and has drawn comparisons to the murder of  Matthew Shepard in Wyoming in October 1998.

Shepard was a gay University of Wyoming student. He met two men in a Laramie bar and left with him.  He was beaten and left to die lashed to a fence on windswept country road.

Found unconscious he was rushed to hospital but died a week later. Two men are currently serving life sentences for Shepard’s murder.

Eighteen-year-old Michael Causer was attacked on July 25th, beaten in what police described as vicious and unprovoked homophobic bashing. He was found unconscious on a road, lying in a pool of blood.

The openly gay teen suffered massive brain injuries and was rushed to the hospital. He died eight days later, when doctors declared him brain dead and a ventilator was removed.

Gavin Alker, 19, and James O’Connor, 19, were arrested several days after the beating and charged with causing grievous bodily harm. The charges were changed to murder following Causer’s death.

At Liverpool Crown Court Friday, Alker and O’Connor heard the charges read and entered not guilty pleas. Alker entered his plea via video link from prison.

He was ordered held in custody. O’Connor was given conditional bail. The three will return to court Jan. 26 for the start of their trial.

A third man, Michael Binstead, 18, has been charged with perverting the course of justice He, too, has been released on bail and has been ordered to return to court on Dec. 5.

Causer’s family and friends packed the courtroom Friday to see the accused. Several broke down as the charges were read.

The killing galvanized Britain’s LGBT community and has drawn comparisons to the murder of  Matthew Shepard in Wyoming in October 1998.

Shepard was a gay University of Wyoming student. He met two men in a Laramie bar and left with him.  He was beaten and left to die lashed to a fence on windswept country road. Found unconscious, he was rushed to the hospital, but died a week later.

Two men are currently serving life sentences for Shepard’s murder.