Ten teenagers are convicted of murdering Jack Woodley, who was kicked, punched and fatally stabbed.
Image source, Family handout
Ten teenagers have been found guilty of murdering an 18-year-old man in a group attack.
Jack Woodley suffered a single fatal stab wound while being punched, kicked and stamped upon in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, in October.
A 15-year-old boy admitted manslaughter but had denied murder. Nine others, aged 14 to 18, denied both charges.
They were charged under joint enterprise, Newcastle Crown Court heard and will be sentenced at a later date.
Jurors spent more than three days deliberating before reaching their unanimous conclusions, with the defendants, who shared the dock throughout the trial, split into two groups of five to hear the verdicts.
Several of the defendants looked visibly shocked and agitated when the verdicts were read out, clutching their heads and rocking back and forth.
Prosecutors said the youths were intent on attacking someone at the Houghton Feast funfair on 16 October and Mr Woodley came to their attention for a “trivial reason”.
He was challenged to a “one on one fight” but declined, then he and his four friends were followed by about 30 young people as they walked into the town centre.
As Mr Woodley neared the Britannia Inn a 16-year-old boy ran up from behind and punched him in the head, several others then immediately joined in the assault.
While he was being grappled, punched and kicked by the mob, there were shouts of “get the chopper out” and a 15-year-old boy pulled a large “Rambo-style” knife from his trousers and stabbed Mr Woodley in the back.
The boy with the knife fled but the rest continued to rain punches and kicks on Mr Woodley and pursued down an alley where they resumed the attack.
Witnesses described the scene as like animals attacking a piece of meat, with one telling the jury it appeared to be a deliberate attempt to kill.
Image source, Crown Prosecution Service
The onslaught lasted just over a minute and ended with Mr Woodley, who witnesses described as looking petrified throughout, collapsing beside the pub.
The gang fled as horrified pubgoers attempted to give Mr Woodley first aid before emergency services arrived.
He never regained consciousness and died at 23:20 the following day.
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