Trio get life for murdering teenager

Jordan Campbell, who died following a New Year's Eve party

Daniel Wiltshire, Ruben Hoather and Mark Wood were all caged for a minimum of 21, 19 and 21 years respectively.

Wiltshire, 25, of Wargrave Road, Newton, and 25-year-old Hoather, of Tickle Avenue, Parr, admitted killed 17-year-old Jordon Campbell on New Year’s Day.

Wood, 32, of Elephant Lane, Thatto Heath, denied the brutal stabbing but was found guilty after a trial.

The trio were among those at a New Year’s Eve party along with Jordan.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the teenager was stabbed in the back and all three men then set fire to the flat in a bid to cover their tracks.

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.”

Det Sgt Jackie Guinness 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.”