A TEENAGER who stabbed a 16-year-old rap fan to death in a row over an Xbox was branded a coward by a judge before being locked up for life.

Shane Boyd stunned his victim Conor Black by smashing him over the head with a beer can and then plunged a kitchen knife into his back as he stumbled away.

Boyd, 16, then bragged that he was 'the best' as Conor tried to run away before collapsing on a nearby grass verge where he bled to death.

"It was truly wicked and shows you in the true colours of a coward", Boyd was told by Judge Clement Goldstone at Manchester Crown Court.

Dozens of Conor's relatives and friends, many wearing T shirts with his picture emblazoned on the front, were packed into court as Judge Goldstone told Boyd he must serve a minimum 11 years. 

The judge told him he would stay behind bars until the parole board was satisfied he was no longer a danger to the public.

And he said the grief felt by Conor's family would last far longer than the time Boyd stays in custody.

Devastated

Outside court, a statement released on behalf of the family said: "We are all devastated by Conor's death. He played football and loved his music and rapping. Our loss as a family is Conor's future and what it would have been, his little proud face when he became the joiner he wanted to be, his face when he would have shown his mum his first born.

"All the hopes and dreams of a family were crushed when Conor's life was stolen in that terrible, violent way.

"His mum lost her friend, her child, her life and that makes us so very sad and helpless."

Boyd, of Nowell Road, Middleton, was convicted last month of murdering Conor who has been described by his family as 'a lovely lad with a big smile'.

Police believe there was a minor dispute over an Xbox and Boyd attacked Conor after he was invited to a party at a house in Moston.

The judge said Boyd was carrying a kitchen knife and like many others of his age thought nothing of being out on the streets ready and willing to use it.

He said: "You thought nothing more of carrying that knife than you would of having a wallet or house keys.

Arrogance

"Will young people like you never learn that the public and the courts will not tolerate those who carry knives without concern for the consequences and this offence is also aggravated by your brazen arrogance after you stabbed him".

Conor was standing outside when Boyd walked over to him and hit him on the forehead with a full can of beer.

The force of the blow was so hard that the can burst spraying people nearby. As Conor staggered away Boyd then stabbed him in the back before throwing his arms in the air and bragged that he was the best.

After Boyd was led away to start his sentence, his 20 year old cousin, John Boyd, was sentenced to three years at a young offenders institute after pleading guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice and assault involving a prosecution witness in the case.

Following the murder John Boyd chased the witness into the home of a mother of five while armed with a screwdriver.

He told the woman to 'shut up or I'll stab you all' and eventually corned the witness in an upstairs room where he battered him saying he must not call his cousin a murderer and if he did he had 'had it'.

"Witnesses must feel entirely free to give evidence and they must not be subjected to threats", said the judge. "Those who think otherwise will pay a heavy price."