Two cousins who brutally murdered a 34-year-old dad from Failsworth and dumped his dismembered body in a park have been given life imprisonment.

Ashley Walsh was killed on Friday, January 7 this year and his body was later found in four suitcases in Sandhills Park in Collyhurst.

Aaron Evitt, 33, of Brentnor Road, Manchester, and Gerrard McGlacken, 45, of Kintore Walk, Manchester both denied murder but pleaded guilty to the prevention of a lawful burial at a trial at Manchester Crown Court.

The pair were found guilty by a jury yesterday and sentencing today Judge Justice Goose considered the men “equally culpable” and gave both a minimum term of 28 years in custody.

A number of Ashley’s family members were in court for the sentencing wearing purple hoodies (Ashley’s colour) emblazoned with the father's name and his motocross number 116.

There were cheers from the public gallery when Evitt and McGlacken were sentenced.

On the first day of the trial on Thursday, July 7 Prosecutor Michael Brady QC told the court that Ashley was murdered at McGlacken’s flat on Kintore Walk in Collyhurst.

While giving evidence from the witness box McGlacken admitted to jurors that he “chopped up” Ashley's body to “protect” his cousin Evitt who he claimed killed Ashley with a hammer and stabbed him.

The following day McGlacken admitted lying when he gave evidence and said that he in fact had stabbed Mr Walsh, but believed he was already dead.

The court heard that pathologist Dr Charles Wilson found Ashley had 20 stab wounds, many of which were from when he was still alive, and that six to the chest area were potentially fatal.

When giving evidence Evitt told jurors he did hit Ashley with a hammer after an argument broke out when Ashley said he had slept with his ex-girlfriend but denied stabbing him and said he was asleep when McGlacken dismembered him.

Today Judge Justice Goose acknowledged McGlacken played a "major role" in the "disgraceful" dismemberment but said it was "simply incredible" that  Evitt had no knowledge of it and that he likely "encouraged" it.