Lewis Dunne trial: Three jailed for Liverpool teenager's murder

Jake Culshaw and brothers John and Paul Martin were found guilty of murder at Liverpool Crown Court

Three men who murdered a teenager after mistaking him for a rival because of his curly hair have been jailed for life.

Lewis Dunne, 16, was shot in the back in Eldonian Village, Vauxhall, Liverpool, in November 2015.

Jake Culshaw, 26, and brothers John and Paul Martin, aged 20 and 26, had been involved in violent clashes with another group before Lewis was killed.

All three were found guilty of murder at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.

Culshaw and Paul Martin were ordered to serve a minimum 30 years while John Martin was given a minimum of 28 years.

Lewis's mum, Gemma Whitfield, said his death had caused "a tidal wave of trauma" and that "grief is a lonely place, grief caused by murder is even lonelier."

Judge Mr Justice Turner said each of the defendants had "lied again and again about what really happened" and that he had "no doubt" that "whoever pulled the trigger intended to kill".

"Lewis's death was no more than collateral damage for which you made strenuous efforts to avoid responsibility", he told the defendants.

Lewis Dunne was 16 when he was shot in the back on a canal towpath

After the verdicts were delivered, Culshaw shouted at the jury "you've just thrown my life away" while John Martin shouted an expletive and said "you've just taken an innocent man's life away".

Lewis's family wept and shouted "yes yes" as the verdicts were delivered.

Police divers were deployed to trawl the canal for possible evidence

Lewis had left his home to buy cigarettes when he was shot, the court heard.

Described as "a quiet lad who kept himself to himself", the jury was told he had been enjoying a "perfectly ordinary evening" sharing a Chinese takeaway and watching television with his family.

The teenager was shot as he walked under a bridge along a canal towpath. Four men were seen on CCTV running from the scene.

He was found by a passer-by who gave him first aid before police arrived at about 23:10 GMT on 15 November.

He died in hospital and a post-mortem examination found the cause was a single shotgun wound to the back.

The prosecution claimed Culshaw, of no fixed address, and the Martin brothers believed Lewis to be a member of the rival group with which they had clashed earlier that day because he had similar-looking curly hair.

A fourth man allegedly involved in the killing has not been traced.

Lewis Dunne's curly hair was said to have been similar to that of a gang member the killers were searching for

Following the court hearing, Sara Drysdale, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said Lewis Dunne had been "an innocent victim of a senseless and violent on-going dispute between two street gangs".

She said: "The CPS prosecuted this case as joint enterprise. We said that Culshaw and John and Paul Martin acted together with the same aim and that they were all guilty of Lewis' murder.

"Some have said Lewis Dunne was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Lewis had every right to be where he was on that night."

Josie Whittaker, a friend of the Dunne family said the teenager had never caused harm to anybody.

She said: "The night he died was horrendous. I actually went up to the scene and a heard a scream from the boy's mum and it will stay with me forever. And I mean forever.

"Seeing his little face lying on the ambulance bed will stay with me forever as well.

"It is just absolutely devastating and heartbreaking."