A coin collector who stabbed a fellow enthusiast to death and then stole his collection has been jailed for life.

Danny Bostock broke into Gordon McGhee’s flat and stabbed him at least 14 times when he woke up, a court heard.

Judge David Goodin told Bostock the murder was “savage” – and said he must serve at least 30 years behind bars before he can be considered for release.

Ipswich Crown Court was told that the 33-year-old was “cool-headed enough” to search Mr McGhee’s flat for his coin collection – which included limited-edition Beatrix Potter 50p pieces – after the killing.

Bostock subsequently tried to cause a gas explosion in a “calculated attempt to destroy the crime scene” after the attack in Colchester on 22 August 2018 – putting Mr McGhee’s neighbours at “grave risk”.

A jury found Bostock guilty of murder and of attempted arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

The missing items from the 52-year-old’s coin collection have not been recovered.

Bostock’s DNA was also found on a ripped package used to store Mr McGhee’s coins, and trainer prints at the scene were also linked to him.

Judge Goodin said witnesses described the victim as a “generous man” and that his killer, who had convictions for 44 previous offences including rape, knew of this generosity as Mr McGhee had showed him his personal coin collection.

Addressing him in court, Judge Goodin said: “He gave you one, two or three of them, duplicate coins of which he had more than one, in recognition of your own interest in that area so you could have it for your own collection.

“You decided you could have that collection, then in the early hours you went after it.”

In a victim impact statement, Toni Smith, whom Mr McGhee regarded as his daughter, said she was “paralysed by shock” and “heartbroken” when she was told of his death.

Alison Levitt QC, mitigating, said the murder was not pre-meditated but happened “when something went terribly wrong during the course of this burglary”.

She added that Bostock did not go to the flat armed with a knife.

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