Gangland hitman Mark Fellows found guilty of murdering Salford 'Mr Big' Paul Massey

A gangland hitman is facing a life sentence after being found guilty of the murders of an underworld "Mr Big" and a mob enforcer.

Mark Fellows - known as The Iceman - murdered Salford mobster Paul Massey, 55, with an Uzi machine gun in July 2015 outside his home in the city.

Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court were told the notorious "Mr Big" crime figure was shot at 18 times as he raised his hands and dived for cover behind bins.

Three years later, 38-year-old Fellows murdered Massey's gang associate and mob enforcer John Kinsella, 53, in what was described as a "cold-blooded" execution.

Kinsella was walking with his dogs and partner Wendy Owen in Merseyside in May 2018 when Fellows cycled up and shot his victim in the back twice with a Webley six-shot revolver.

Fellows then stood over Kinsella and fired two more times into the back of his head.

On both occasions his co-accused, Steven Boyle, 36, allegedly acted as a spotter to make sure the victims were in place and serve as back-up if needed. He denied this was the case.

Boyle was found guilty of Kinsella's murder, but he was cleared of the murder of Massey.

Both Fellows and Boyle were cleared of the attempted murder of Miss Owen.

Massey and Kinsella's murders followed a deadly feud between rival gangs in Salford - the A-Team, which the victims were linked to, and a splinter faction Fellows and Boyle were with.

The defendants both smiled in court as the verdict was announced after more than 31 hours of deliberations.

The victims' relatives wiped away tears as they sat in the public gallery and watched the two men be convicted.

Outside the courtroom, police in combat gear were seen carrying Heckler and Koch machine guns while patrolling the corridors throughout the trial.

At a past hearing, both defendants had tried to burst out of a court building.

The pair will be sentenced on Thursday.