Four jailed for town centre machete murder

Joseph Riches was killed following an incident in Stourbridge town centre

Four people have been jailed for life for murdering a 16-year-old boy.

Joseph Riches was fatally stabbed by Joshua Edgington, Dray Simmonds and two 16-year-olds during an incident in Stourbridge last year.

Edgington and Simmonds, both 20, must serve a minimum term of 21 years, while the other two will serve 15 years and 15 years and six months.

The younger defendants can't be named because of their ages.

Joseph, from Bartley Green, was in the town centre with friends on 15 July last year.

Joshua Edgington and Dray Simmonds have been sentenced to life in prison

West Midlands Police said the victim had approached another group before attacking two of them with a screwdriver.

He then tried unsuccessfully to escape before he was set upon by his killers, one of whom was armed with a machete.

Coventry Crown Court heard it was Simmonds who inflicted the fatal blow but the other three were found guilty by joint enterprise.