A killer was today starting a minimum 14-year jail sentence for strangling his best friend and setting fire to him in Wolverhampton city centre.

See also: Video: murder in city centre

Drunken Jason Perks, aged 36, callously murdered Darren Eaton before making a ranting 999 call to police confessing to the killing and saying he was “not bothered”.

The family of Mr Eaton have now called for his killer to spend the rest of his life behind bars for what a judge called “gross violence”.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday that there had been a “disagreement” between the pair, who had been drinking, on a night last October.

Perks strangled 42-year-old Mr Eaton, described in court as his only friend, before wrapping his body in a blanket and setting him on fire near to the market.

Police rushed to the scene, off Salop Street, and put out the blaze.

The victim worked at Sandhu Meat & Poultry, School Street and Dave Silverton Butchers in the Mander Centre and was also a founding member of the Wolverhampton Elvis Presley Fan Club. The family of Mr Eaton, formerly of Pendeford and who also lived in Hydes Road, Wednesfield, paid tribute to him as a “lovely” character.

Sister-in-law Patricia said: “I’m disappointed in the 14 years, but it is life so hopefully it will be life.” His brother William said the way in which Mr Eaton met his death was “beyond comprehension”.

Jailing Perks for life and setting the 14-year minimum term, Mr Justice Goldring said: “You used gross violence on a man who inflicted none on you at all.”

The judge praised case officers Det Sgt Karen Payne and Dc Kerry Bromhall, both of Bilston Street station, for their hard work.

Yesterday it emerged that the killer had been given a conditional discharge on October 9 by Wolverhampton Magistrates, just hours before the killing, for being drunk and disorderly.