Four men are today facing life prison sentences after they were convicted of murdering acid attack victim Barry Selby.

Detectives said that very dangerous men would now be behind bars after the "totally ruthless" attack on the 50-year-old dad in his Bradford home.

Lee Calvert, 23, of Stirling Crescent, Holme Wood; Joseph Lowther, 22, of Copgrove Road, Holme Wood; Robert Woodhead, 28, of Fred's Place, Tyersal; and Andrew Feather, 23, of Heysham Drive, Holme Wood; had all denied murder, but were convicted unanimously yesterday following a six-week trial. They will be sentenced by Mr Justice Globe at Bradford Crown Court today.

Calvert, Lowther and Woodhead were also convicted of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

As the jury forewoman announced the first guilty verdict, Calvert leaped from his seat in the dock, ran at a security officer and punched him to the floor. He then charged across the secure dock, angrily shouting his innocence, and attacked a second officer, as relatives of Calvert called out "No, Lee" from the public gallery.

Calvert was wrestled to the floor by three dock officers and led away by the scruff of his neck.

The judge asked the jury to retire. They were brought back to the courtroom, looking shaken, to return the rest of their verdicts, while Calvert was kept in the cells on the orders of the judge.

Mr Selby's widow, Donna, and son Liam, sat tearfully at the front of the public gallery, with other relatives including his two daughters, as the verdicts were announced.

They were then ushered from the courtroom by police officers and cheers could be later heard outside.

After the court was cleared, Mr Justice Globe called the jury of six women and five men back into court and praised their diligence, and time and care spent on a difficult task.

The trial had heard how Mr Selby was attacked in the bedroom of his home, in Rayleigh Street, East Bowling, shortly after 2am on Monday, October 14 last year, while his wife and daughter were present. Five men drove to his home and smashed open the front door . Three of the intruders went upstairs and confronted him.

Mr Selby was shot in the leg and doused from head to foot in sulphuric acid. He suffered 50 per cent acid burns and died in hospital four days later when his vital organs failed.

Prosecutor Simon Myerson QC told the court the four defendants were also involved in an incident four hours earlier when shots were fired at the doors and windows of a house in Farway, Holme Wood.

Mr Myerson said there had been a series of violent incidents between two groups of men on the Holme Wood estate. Liam Selby was a member of one group and Lee Calvert was in the other. Mr Myerson said the murder of Mr Selby appeared to be revenge or retaliation against his son.

The prosecutor said Calvert, Woodhead and Lowther were together during each of the offences, and it did not matter which one actually pulled the trigger or sprayed, squirted or poured the acid. Feather drove the men away in an effort to avoid detection, and stored the guns.

None of the defendants chose to give evidence during their trial.

After the verdicts, relatives of some of the defendants shouted angrily at police officers outside the court and were encouraged to leave the building. Extra police and security staff were present outside the courtroom and the building itself - there had been strict security throughout the trial about who was allowed into court, on the orders of the judge - and a police helicopter hovered overhead following the case.