THEY were fantasists who thought they had committed the perfect crime.

But callous killers David Large and Simon Mullen were caught and were today starting 30-year jail terms.

Both have been convicted of shooting Christopher Hartley in a country lane outside Clayton West last September.

The man who led the police hunt today welcomed the sentences.

Det Supt Chris Thompson of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry team, said: “David Large was a man steeped in crime who lived an opulent lifestyle, owning fast cars and large houses both at home and abroad, all of which were funded through fraud and drugs.

“When he wanted to split from his partner and lover of 15 years, Large carefully planned with Simon Mullen to lure Christopher Hartley to a secluded spot in Huddersfield where he was shot through the head at point-blank range in what was a pre-meditated, cold blooded and merciless killing.

“Following the killing, Large and Mullen concocted a complex alibi deliberately attempting to mislead the police that this was a drugs deal gone wrong.

“However, under investigation, this alibi unravelled to reveal the extent of their lies and deception.

“Large and Mullen are fantasists and believed that they had committed the perfect crime.

“Like others before them, they now face the consequences of their actions.”