'Despicable and cowardly' killers of Jordan Campbell to serve combined sentences totalling more than 60 years

Anthony Wood, of Elephant Lane, Thatto Heath, was found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Jordan Campbell at a flat in Parr following a New Year's Eve party, will serve a minimum jail term of 21 years.

Ruben Hoather, 22, of Tickle Avenue, Parr must serve at least 19 years and Daniel Wiltshire, 26, from Wargrave Road in Newton-le-Willows, 21 years.

The family and their supporters had called for whole life terms before sentencing. 

Speaking outside court, Jordan's mum Kerry Birch said: "It's destroyed our lives and taken us six month's to come to terms with.

"I would like to thank everyone for their support throughout this terrible process."

Ahead of the murder, the three killers had partied in the early hours - drinking alcohol, taking cocaine and smoking cannabis Hoather's flat on Tickle Avenue.

At about 9.20am on January 1, Jordan, from Haydock, was knifed to death inside the flat and an attempt was made to burn his lifeless body.

Firefighters found Jordan's body lying face up on a mattress in one of the bedrooms. He was confirmed dead at the scene.

Jordan died from a stab wound to the back, which had passed completely through his left lung causing it to collapse and had also damaged the aorta leading to catastrophic bleeding.

However, he was stabbed or slashed seven times, as well as being punched, kicked and stamped on.

Delivering sentence, Mr Justice Kerr told Wiltshire, who inflicted the fatal wound with a four and a half inch kitchen knife: "You arrogantly boasted and bragged about the crime afterwards, needlessly, aggravating the suffering of the family."

The Judge said to Hoather: "You committed this offence while on licence less than 24 hours from release from prison after serving a sentence itself for an offence of violence.

“The attack was horrific you took part in and you tore your clothes afterwards to burn the body and the flat."

And he told Wood: "You falsely tried to make out you were the good man trying to rescue the boy you murdered. Your trial has delayed sentencing by this court.

"That delay I'm sure has added to the suffering you have already caused to Jordan's family and loved ones."

Reacting to the sentences, Detective Sergeant Jackie Guinness, who was part of the investigation team, said: “This was a brutal and unprovoked attack on a 17-year-old youth, who had gone to a party, where he expected to celebrate the New Year and sadly had his life cruelly taken.

“Jordan had his whole life ahead of him and the actions of these three men have taken his future away and have left a big hole in his family.

"Their actions can only be described as despicable and cowardly.

“There is no place in our communities for people who commit such violent and horrendous crime and their sentence reflects the severity of their offences. While it cannot undo what has been done, I hope their sentences will in time give the family some sense of closure.

“I’d like to thank the investigation team and the Crown Prosecution Service for their hard work in bringing this case to court.”

Mairead Neeson, Senior Crown Prosecutor at CPS Merseyside and Cheshire, said: “Jordan Campbell had been celebrating the New Year at a party with the very men who later went on to brutally murder him.

“Jordan Campbell died, aged just 17, after he was stabbed in the back. His attackers then tried to cover up their crime, even attempting to burn his lifeless body to try to obscure the injuries they had inflicted.

“Now, instead of the New Year being a time for celebration, for Jordan Campbell’s family and friends it will be a reminder of their loss. We hope today’s sentence will be of some small comfort to them.”

Wood pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to perverting the course of justice for lies he told in a witness statement that he gave to investigating officers before he became a suspect, for which he was sentenced to 18 months, which will run alongside his 21 year term for murder.