Nottingham: Four jailed for life over 'revenge' street murder

Left to right: Malcolm Francis, Daniel Francis, Richard Anderson and Ijah Lavelle Moore were all sentenced to life in prison

Four men have been jailed for murdering a father of two who was stabbed 14 times in Nottingham city centre.

Ricardo Cotteral was ambushed by Malcolm Francis, Daniel Francis and Richard Anderson outside Wax Bar just before 02:00 BST on 24 April 2022.

Mr Cotteral ran down the street after being stabbed but was chased and attacked again, dying on the pavement.

The men were sentenced - along with getaway driver Ijah Lavelle Moore - at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.

Nottinghamshire Police said Malcolm Francis dealt the fatal blow and the men only stopped when one of them was heard saying "he's dead, let's go".

Lavelle Moore was not involved in the attack, but police said he acted as "a lookout and getaway driver".

The four men denied murder but were found guilty by a jury on 25 July.

Wade Smith, 38, of Helmsdale Gardens, Top Valley, was found not guilty of murder.

Mr Cotteral's family described him as a family man and an inspiration

Malcolm Francis, 30, of no fixed address, was jailed for life to serve a minimum term of 30 years in jail.

Daniel Francis, 27, of Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, and Anderson, 25, of no fixed address, were both jailed for life, for a minimum of 27 years.

Lavelle Moore, 31, of Woodfield Road, Broxtowe, was jailed for life to serve a minimum term of 25 years in jail.

The attack was thought to be an "act of revenge" following a previous violent incident that caused "hostility and ill-feeling" between Mr Cotteral and his killers.

Mr Cotteral was on weekend release from prison when he was attacked.

The defendants attempted to evade capture by leaving Nottinghamshire, discarding the two knives used and getting rid of their clothing and mobile phones.

Mr Cotteral died on the pavement in Broad Street, Nottingham

In a statement, Mr Cotteral's family said: "Since we lost Ricardo, we have all come to realise you don't just lose someone you love once, you lose them over and over.

"Every time you open your eyes, as you awaken, so does your memory and so does the realisation that the person you love is gone.

"It rips into your heart. The trauma is endless."

They described him as a "family man" whose legacy will live on through his daughters.

Det Ch Insp Clare Dean said: "This was an appalling act of premeditated violence in a busy public place.

"Ricardo Cotteral was unarmed on the night he was murdered in what can only be described as a cowardly, planned and targeted knife attack."