Phil Spector found guilty of murdering Lana Clarkson

The legendary American music producer Phil Spector has been found guilty of murder. After the first attempt to convict him ended in a mistrial because two of the jurors could not agree that he had killed the nightclub hostess Lana Clarkson, a new five-month trial finally ended in Los Angeles yesterday with a unanimous verdict: Spector, one of the greatest names in the history of rock 'n' roll, was found guilty of second degree murder.

On a February night in 2003, Spector picked up Clarkson, an out-of-work actress, at the House of Blues in LA and took her home to his mock-castle on the outskirts of the city, where, in the middle of the night, he shot her through the mouth.

His Brazilian chauffeur, Adriano De Souza, called the emergency services after Spector came out of the house with a gun, saying: "I think I killed somebody". A holster that matched the snub-nosed Cold Cobra revolver in Spector's hand was found in a drawer.

Despite that testimony, Spector's lawyers insisted during both trials that 40-year-old Clarkson had committed suicide. They argued that after appearing in cult 1980s films such as Barbarian Queen and Fast Times at Ridgemont High her acting career had been on the skids. Spector himself never gave evidence but a succession of women were called by the prosecution to testify that they, too, had been threatened by Spector with handguns.

During his career, Spector, who invented the 'wall of sound' recording effect, produced such worldwide hits as the Righteous Brothers' You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', the Ronettes' Be My Baby and John Lennon's Imagine.

Spector's 28-year-old wife Rachelle Short, a former Playboy model whom he married in 2006, sobbed as the jury's verdict was read out. The man himself was stony-faced and even appeared to yawn.

Spector, now 69, will not be sentenced until May 29 when, barring a successful appeal, he can expect a jail term that is likely to keep him locked up for the rest of his life. His lawyers announced yesterday that they would appeal the conviction. But while expensive delaying tactics have kept him out of jail for six years, there was no escaping it yesterday when Judge Larry Fidler remanded Spector in custody.