Jack Woodley murder: Family 'haunted' by teen's death

Jack Woodley was murdered by 10 youths in Houghton-le-Spring in October 2021

The parents of a man murdered by a gang of youths have told a judge they will be "forever haunted" by his death.

The 10 killers, aged between 15 and 18, attacked Jack Woodley, 18, in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, in October.

He was repeatedly punched and kicked and suffered a single fatal stab wound, Newcastle Crown Court has heard.

Judge Rodney Jameson QC has been hearing submissions before sentencing on Friday. Prosecutors said the starting point would be 12 years.

A murder trial previously heard Mr Woodley had been to Houghton Feast funfair with friends on 16 October when a gang of youths targeted him for a "trivial reason".

Mr Woodley was followed by a large group of youths as he walked into the town centre.

As he neared the Britannia Inn, a 16-year-old boy ran up and punched him in the back of the head triggering an 80-second long melee, during which a 15-year-old boy stabbed him in the back with a 9in (25cm) knife.

Jack Woodley died in hospital a day after being attacked near the Britannia Inn in Houghton-le-Spring

Mr Woodley collapsed in an alleyway and died the following day in hospital.

His mother, Zoey McGill, told the court her son had been her "cheeky blue-eyed boy" and while he had a "couple of difficult years in his mid-teens" he had become a "beacon of light".

She said he had a "loving kind heart" and would always try and help others.

He had recently gained a forklift driver's licence, had been due to start a new job and had just collected the keys for his new home when he was killed, Ms McGill said.

One of the 10 defendants admitted stabbing Jack Woodley with a 9in (25cm) knife

The court was told she would never forget that night "unlike the defendants who clearly can't recall much", a reference to the defendants who told jurors they could not remember what had happened.

She said the whole family would be "forever haunted about how horrific Jack's injuries were".

"This has ruined our family's lives and life will never be the same again."

In a statement read to the court, Mr Woodley's father John said his heart was "broken into a million pieces" and he had "so much anger" towards his killers, adding it was a "cowardly attack" in which the "pain and fear Jack endured must have been unthinkable".

He said his "defenceless" son "did not stand a chance" and "we will carry on living this nightmare until the day we pass."

Prosecutor Mark McKone QC said the starting point for each youth's mandatory life sentence would be 12 years, although it would have been much more had they been adults and the judge had to consider aggravating features for each boy.

'Shame and regret'

In mitigation for the 15-year-old with the knife, Nicholas Lumley QC said the youth accepted he had fetched the weapon shortly before the attack and admitted Mr Woodley's manslaughter but he had not intended to kill him.

He said the boy had "genuine remorse, shame and regret" and was determined to be "rehabilitated".

David Lamb QC, representing the 16-year-old who started the attack, said the gang's actions had been "largely spontaneous, impulsive and lacked any real degree of planning" and the boy had not known anyone had a knife or that others would join in.

Mr Lamb said the boy had a "difficult upbringing and background" which were "clear factors which played a part to tragic effect".

He also said the boy had expressed remorse and should have been celebrating leaving school this summer but "finds himself behind bars where he is destined to remain for a long time".

Toby Hedworth QC, representing a 17-year-old boy, said had he not got involved in the attack there would "good grounds for believing he had a bright future".

He said his client was "genuinely ashamed of his own role in the taking of that life".

The youth had "knuckled down" in detention and there were "many positives about him".

Lawyers representing an 18-year-old defendant told the court he also had shown "consistent remorse" and understood the anger Mr Woodley's family must feel.

'Very vulnerable'

The youngest defendant, who was 14 at the time, has an IQ of 66 which qualifies him as having "significant impairment of intellectual function", his lawyer Liam O'Brien said.

The "very vulnerable" boy had the ability to understand instructions of a six-year-old child, the court heard, and "would not have necessarily understood as well as others what was going on", Mr O'Brien said.

Adam Birkby, representing a 16-year-old, said the boy was "well mannered and polite" and his involvement amounted to several seconds of being seen at the scene on mobile phone footage.

Robert Woodcock QC, representing another 16-year-old, said his client was a "charming young lad" who was "sensitive and willing to volunteer to help".

Lawyers for an 18-year-old defendant said he made a "poor choice" to get briefly involved and his character references spoke of him "in the highest terms" with the attack being "completely out of character".

Judge Jameson said he would issue sentences on Friday and he "anticipated" there would be significant variation in the minimum terms imposed.