Three men who killed pensioner Tom Niland sentenced to a total of 43 years

The judge noted that the killers had carried out reconnaissance on Mr Niland and targeted him because he lived alone and, as a man in his 70s, they 'fully understood' that he could be easily overcome

Sentencing the men on Thursday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said Tom Niland (pictured) was a kind man who was entitled to feel comfortable and secure in his own home. File photo

Three men who "brutally" assaulted Tom Niland, a vulnerable pensioner who they beat to death in his own home, have been sentenced to a combined 43 years in prison.

Sentencing the men on Thursday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said the victim was a kind man who was entitled to feel comfortable and secure in his own home.