Three Bristol men jailed for teen's murder
Nicholas Olu, 31, of Sydenham Road, Totterdown, Leon Wilson, 32, of Firfield Street, Windmill Hill, and David Brooks, 33, of no fixed address, were all found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Robert Spence, known as 'Junior', on May 2 last year in an attack outside a bar in Reading.
All three men were also found guilty of the attempted murder of Mr Spence's friend Emmanuelle Connor, 23, after the trial at Reading Crown Court.
In court yesterday, Olu and Wilson were sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison while Brooks was handed a 22-year minimum.
During the eight-week trial, the jury heard how Mr Connor, 23, had seen the men stabbing Robert, of Reading, outside the town's Mango Bar. Mr Connor was injured, the court was told, and had one litre of blood removed from his chest because of his wounds. Mr Spence's injuries included a fatal wound to his heart.
After the conviction, the victim's parents, Sandra Blake and Paul Spence, expressed their delight in the convictions and the pain they had been through.
Miss Blake said: "I am very pleased that David Brooks, Leon Wilson and Nicholas Olu have been found guilty of murdering my son. Junior just didn't deserve to die at their hands like that."
Carlton Miles, 28, of Bridge Street, Eastville, was found not guilty of both charges. On March 20, Jemal Powell, 28, of Thicket Road, Fishponds, was acquitted of all charges and released by Judge Zoe Smith at Reading Crown Court due to insufficient evidence.
