Four guilty of student's killing

Darren Carr and Nicola Faulds denied killing the teenager

A man and a boy have been convicted of the murder of a student attacked with a broken vodka bottle on New Year's Day.

Bradley Whitfield, 16, was also kicked, punched and hit with a metal bar in the attack in Leicester, jurors heard.

Darren Carr, 35, formerly of Caldecote Road, Leicester, was convicted of murder at Nottingham Crown Court, along with the boy, 16, who cannot be named.

Carr's partner Nicola Faulds, 32, of the same address, and a girl, also 16, were both convicted of manslaughter.

Lethal blow

The girl also cannot be named.

All four defendants - who denied the charges - held hands as the jury announced their verdict after almost nine-and-a-half hours of deliberations.

Bradley Whitfield bled to death in the street

Members of the packed public gallery shouted "yes" as the guilty verdicts where given, while Faulds and the two teenagers broke down in tears.

The jury found Carr had delivered the lethal blow with a broken vodka bottle, but his three co-defendants also took part in the attack.

Bradley bled to death from a stab wound to the neck.

He had been walking with three friends after a new year party when he was killed.

During the trial the jury heard the victim's head was kicked "like a football" after he was attacked with the bottle.

The court heard Carr walked into Hamilton police station in Leicester at about 1330 GMT the next day.

He allegedly told officers: "I am scum. I have no excuse. I was drunk.

"I cannot bring the lad back. He was just a kid. I am going to do life. I am going to prison."

'Bright future'

Carr and Faulds were remanded into custody, the boy was remanded to a Young Offenders Institute and the teenage girl was remanded into local authority care.

Mrs Justice Linda Dobbs adjourned the case until 28 November for reports to be prepared.

Outside the court, Det Ch Insp Phil Smith read out a statement on behalf of the victim's parents.

"We can't ever put into words the grief and pain that we have lived through over the past 10 months.

"Bradley had such a bright future ahead of him and tragically he will never fulfill his dreams. We will never forget him. He will continue to help others, in his memory."

Advertisement

Bradley Whitfield was stabbed as he returned from a party