Church murder teenagers jailed

Farrelly (l) and Vine had drunk 20 bottles of lager between them

Two teenage boys have been jailed for life for the unprovoked murder of a 44-year-old father in a churchyard attack.

William Wickham, of South Street in Gosport, Hampshire, was found dead in the grounds of Holy Trinity Church in the town on 25 February.

Alex Farrelly, 16, and Benjamin Vine, 17, both of Gosport, admitted murder and will serve a minimum of 12 years.

Mr Wickham's son Louis, nine, said there were "loads of things" he missed about his father.

In a statement Louis said: "He would take me ice-skating and to the cinema, and he took me on holiday to France to see nanny and granddad and to the Isle of Wight Festival.

"He would give me really cool presents all year round, and we'd play-fight and watch films cuddled up on the sofa bed in the living room.

'Ferocious attack'

"I used to play jokes on him, like setting the clock forward in the morning and telling him it was really late and he should get up, because I was bored and wanted someone to play with."

William Wickham was attacked near his home in Gosport

Farrelly and Vine had been drinking with Mr Wickham outside the church for some time before they launched the unprovoked attack, the court heard.

Farrelly, then aged 15, started the attack by hitting Mr Wickham with a bottle, knocking him to the ground.

The pair, who had drunk between them 20 bottles of Stella Artois, kicked him as if they were "playing football" with his head.

Vine, then aged 16, stamped on his head with such force that the print from his trainers was imprinted in Mr Wickham's face, the court heard.

'Loved Daddy'

Nicholas Haggan QC, prosecuting, told the court Mr Wickham suffered 27 separate injuries to his face and neck including a fractured larynx, nose and left cheekbone.

He said a woman who witnessed the attack initially thought the two boys were "playing football with a lampshade".

Mr Wickham's ex-partner Lynne Stevens said in a statement: "He was a very generous man with a lot of time to give and would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.

Mr Wickham was son Louis's "best friend and mentor"

"Not a day goes by when something doesn't remind me of him.

"This is a terrible shock for a boy so young to have to take onboard - I feel I have lost my little boy too.

"Louis can't understand why this has to happen to him when he loved his Daddy so much - he was his hero, his best friend and his mentor."

The judge said it was a "cowardly and senseless killing".

Mr Justice Butterfield said at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday: "Your victim, sadly an alcoholic, slight in build and very affected by drink, posed no threat to you two lads.

"You were both drunk, you were both aggressive, you both attacked him because he annoyed you or you intended to rob him or as a drunken sport.

"This was a ferocious attack, you beat him to death."

Post-mortem tests showed Mr Wickham died from a serious physical assault.

Det Sgt Philip Bateman, of Hampshire Police, said: "Our investigation was extensive and thorough, and we are very pleased at the end result.

"We hope that these sentences will reassure the local community that justice has been served, and our thoughts at this time are with Mr Wickham's family, who have suffered so much grief due to his death."

Restrictions preventing the naming of the teenagers were lifted by the judge.