THE distraught brother of a Worcester woman murdered 20 years ago today, in a crime which horrified the city, says the men behind it should have got the death sentence.

Adrian Avery said he could never forgive evil Mitchell Robinson who orchestrated the death of 18-year-old Julia Avery.

He also has no forgiveness for Noell Brown, who carried out the deed as part of an insurance scam on February 3, 1986.

Robinson, a nightclub bouncer at Worcester's The Pavilion nightclub - now Tramps in Angel Place - hired body builder and martial arts enthusiast Brown to strangle Julia for a promise of £40,000.

Killer Brown, originally of Belmont Street, Rainbow Hill, was released about eight years ago and, Robinson - convicted of murder and attempted murder - was told back in 1987 he must serve a minimum of 20 years. But 42-year-old Mr Avery said that after reading in the Worcester News recently about the chilling case of David McGreavy - who slaughtered three tots in Worcester and impaled them on garden railings - that this was another case where the punishment did not fit the crime.

McGreavy was photographed recently taking a stroll in Liverpool preparing for his release from prison.

Father-of-one Mr Avery, of Peninsula Road, Norton, said: Between Brown and Robinson, I do feel they should have died for what they did.

"I'll never be able to forgive them for it and that's because of the fact it was pre-meditated and they were prepared to take life for money.

"I can't believe any human with a heart could do that."

Back in the summer of 1987, Birmingham Crown Court heard how Brown, then aged 19, strangled Julia at her Tunnel Hill home by using a martial arts hold, stripped her body to make it look like a sex attack and flung her downstairs.

Robinson was in custody on a robbery charge at the time, fixing himself up with the perfect alibi.

Julia's baby Sophie - now 22 and living with foster parents - was asleep in the next room at the time.

Another defendant - Martin Evans, then of Bromwich Road, Worcester -admitted he was offered £40,000 to kill Julia but was cleared of her contract killing.

He admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice and was given a nine-month jail term.

Mr Avery said his parents Olive and Bernard now live in fear of Robinson being released.

He added: "The terrible thing about it is the pain goes on for them because of the fear of him coming back.

"They should be able to live in peace with the knowledge they can go out on the garden without him peering over their hedge."