THE JURY in the trial of two brother accused of murdering a Hampshire newsagent have been sent home for the night.

The panel of six men and six women were sent out by His Honour Mr Justice Griffith Williams after he concluded his summing up this afternoon.

They must now decide whether brothers Jonathan and Sam McKinley are guilty of murdering Choudhry Zishan in Eastleigh in the early hours of March 30.

The trial which has lasted three and a half weeks has heard how 35-year-old Mr Zishan had only just left his home, above the shop which he ran, when he came into the path of the McKinley brothers.

Winchester Crown Court has been told how the the pair then launched a "prolonged and savage attack" on Mr Zishan, which was heard and seen by several residents who had been woken by the attack.

Some spoke of seeing Mr Zishan of being kicked and stamped on with one attacker swinging his foot "at full pelt" at his head.

Parts of the attack were also captured in CCTV.

The newsagent was left with multiple injuries after he was left fighting for his life lying in the road on High Street. A post mortem found he had died from head injuries including brain injury and a fractured skull.

The two brothers are then alleged to have fled the scene to a friends house where they are alleged to have put some clothing in the washing machine.

The pair were arrested later that morning.

In evidence the pair admitted they had been drinking heavily on the night of the alleged attack.

Sam McKinley, 25, of no fixed abode, told jurors that it was his brother Jon who carried out the assault and that he punched his brother in the face at one point to try and make him stop.

He said he never hit Mr Zishan and in the end gave up trying to stop the attack and walked away.

Jon McKinley, 23, of Devon Drive, also gave evidence in his own defence. In his testimony he told jurors that he did not intend to seriously hurt Mr Zishan but did admit punching him.

He added that he had little recollection of the events surrounding the alleged attack.

Jon McKinley said the attack was a case of mistaken identity as he believed Mr Zishan was the same man who had been pestering the brothers' sister in the Litten Tree pub earlier that evening.

Both defendants deny murder.