Youth sentenced to life for murder of keen sportsman

Tom Ellis was out with his girlfriend and other friends to celebrate his birthday

A "volatile and out-of-control" teenager who was 16 when he stabbed a man to death has been sentenced to at least 13 years.

CCTV footage captured the moment the youth, now aged 17, attacked Tom Ellis near Nuneaton's Ropewalk Shopping Centre on 8 June.

A keen sportsman, Mr Ellis had been out with his girlfriend and others to celebrate his 25th birthday when he suffered a single blow to his chest with a huge hunting-style knife.

Immediately afterwards, the 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, asked his mother to collect a takeaway he ordered before the stabbing, the court heard.

Prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith told Warwick Crown Court the teenager regularly carried knives.

At the time of the attack he was with other youths, and Mr Grieves-Smith said the defendant had stabbed Mr Ellis following "a brief exchange of words" and a disagreement.

"By the time Tom Ellis was murdered the defendant was volatile and out of control," he said.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Lockhart KC told the youth Mr Ellis "didn't know that you had that knife ready for use".

"It's a special feature of this case that you killed Tom in front of his loved ones in a public place," he said.

Tom Ellis was a keen and competitive sportsman, his family have said

The judge said he accepted Mr Ellis had "punched out towards you".

"I am sure that words were exchanged, I am sure that the first words of abuse came from your group," Judge Lockhart added.

"I am sure that after that, you decided to move off and go off after him."

The judge said the murder was aggravated by the fact that the boy, who used cannabis, had ignored his mother's "warnings" about his interest in knives, and the fact it took place in a public place.

The teenager had earlier admitted murder and unlawful possession of a knife.

The victim's father and partner read victim impact statements, describing their unbearable pain, and paying tribute to Mr Ellis as someone who would do anything for anyone.

Defence KC Louise Sweet said the 17-year-old, who was in the habit of sleeping with a knife in bed and had bleached a weapon found at his home after the attack, had "demonstrated deep shame".

The defence lawyer stated: "He is highly remorseful and described his own actions as - the word is repeated in the pre-sentence report - monstrous."