Teenager detained for 11 years over knife killing

Owen Cousins stabbed Daniel Gee-Jamieson, 16, with a lock knife during a "straightener" fight between the two to settle a row, watched by 30 other boys in Belle Vale, Liverpool, on July 3, last year.

The youngster was rushed to hospital, but doctors could not save his life and he was pronounced dead later the same day after suffering "catastrophic" blood loss.

A group of youths had congregated in a nearby field for a fight that night, when Cousins stabbed his victim.

The defendant, from Gateacre, Liverpoool, was arrested the next day and cleared of murder, but convicted of manslaughter after a trial last month.

On Friday, Judge David Aubrey QC detained Cousins for 11 years at Liverpool Crown Court.

Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector John Middleton, of Merseyside Police, said: "It was tragic last year to see such a young life ended as a consequence of someone recklessly carrying and using a knife.

"Hopefully today's sentencing at least gives Daniel's family and friends some form of closure and comfort as they continue to come to terms with their loss.

"Tackling violence and knife crime is not something police and the courts can do alone. We continue to work closely with schools and other partners across Merseyside to educate young people about the devastating consequences, which Daniel's death sadly shows.

"We want parents, guardians and young people themselves to help reinforce this message - if you are caught carrying a knife, you are reducing your future prospects. We would urge anyone of any age to think before they consider carrying a knife, whatever the reason.

"If you know somebody who is carrying a knife when they go out I would urge you to come forward and tell us, so we can take the appropriate action. We will act on all information reported to us to make our streets safer."

Brian Forshaw, of Mersey Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service, said: "If ever there was a case that highlights the awful role that knives are playing in the lives of some young people, this is it.

"These two teenagers were supposed to be having a fistfight to put the record straight - not the best answer to any problems but a good deal less dangerous than what Cousins chose to do.

"He pulled a knife and another young life has been lost. Daniel Gee-Jamieson has become another statistic in the dreadful roll-call of young people who've died from knife crime. His family have been devastated. It is a tragic waste of a young life."