A TEENAGE thug was jailed for life for the murder of a young father outside his home.
Daniel Whitehead, 18, was part of a cheering mob of up to 20 youths who set upon Christian Smith in a "mindless" onslaught using sticks, bricks and their fists.
The attack came after Mr Smith, the father of a four-year-old boy, stood up to yobs threatening a group of girls near his home in Oldham.
Mr Smith, 24, died after he was stabbed three times with an ornamental sword which he had taken out to defend himself against the gang.
Whitehead, of Tennyson Street, Oldham, was jailed for life after he was convicted of murder at Manchester Crown Court.
Judge David Maddison said Whitehead must serve a minimum of 10 years before being considered for parole.
Mr Smith's brother, Darren, said: "I'm happy with the verdict, but it's not going to bring back Christian. "He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Argument
Mr Smith had been involved in a noisy argument with four or five youths before he was killed.
Tom Bayliss, QC, prosecuting, said he stepped in when he saw four teenage girls being abused and threatened with violence by the group near Mr Smith's home.
After Mr Smith intervened the youths left but afterwards returned with up to 20 reinforcements.
There was then a concerted attack on Mr Smith in which he attempted to defend himself using an ornamental sword with a 12-inch blade which he kept at his home.
Many of the youths hit Mr Smith with their hands, sticks and bricks. One hit him with a metal pole and another used a crash helmet as he tried to shrug them off.
Wounds
The group "laughed and cheered" when Mr Smith went down and he was kicked in the face.
They managed to grab the sword and Whitehead used it to stab Mr Smith in the chest. The prosecution told the court the victim was stabbed three times. There were 45 other injuries on his body as well the sword wounds.
One thrust penetrated his lung and heart, causing death soon after the incident outside his home in Leamington Street.
Whitehead denied murdering Mr Smith last August 6. He claimed he acted in self-defence in that incident and in an earlier unrelated one in which a motorist was injured.
Overwhelmed
He was also convicted of unlawfully wounding Mark Lomas, 30, who was bitten on the cheek after telling Whitehead to move away from his car.
Judge David Maddison told Whitehead: "I do not know for certain whether you intended specifically to kill a man overwhelmed by you and others outside his home. Undoubtedly, you got caught up and played your part in the mindless violence which escalated on that dreadful night."
The judge said Whitehead would not be considered for release until the authorities were satisfied he was no longer a danger to the public.
Five teenagers, all of Oldham, pleaded guilty to violent disorder linked to the attack on Mr Smith. They are expected to be sentenced next month.
Det Supt Steve Heywood, who led the murder investigation, said: "A young man's life was cut short because of this terrible incident and due to the information we received from the community his killer has been brought to justice."
Comments
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Justice done? I hardly think 10 years is sufficient punishment for this yob - no doubt the left wing do-gooders and PC brigade will justify his actions because of his "hard life" and "troubled upbringing". Life should mean life or better still murder should mean hanging - as the majority of the UK populkation have been saying for year but the government keep ignoring.
The UK justice system once again shows how toothless it really is - another reason which reenforces my decision to quit the UK.
danny whitehead is a good friend ov mine ive known him along time 10 years is more than enuff he was only acting in self defence wich is wat anyone would do in his situation. hes a good lad at the end ov the day and theres not enuff public suporting him, so if u know d.w. get something said on this site!
I'm glad that one judge decided to give life means life imprisonment. Thats what he gets for taking a life of young man. i hope he rots till the very end. he should be never ever be out and should stay that way with these other stupid mindless yobs. lock the yobs and murderers away, throw away the key and let us have fun and enjoy our lives to the fullest till we are old and grey
10 Years, Well I suppose its better than nothing but only just. As for Paul Brooks goes, it looks like your the only person speaking out for 'a good lad.'
id like to add that the people what dont no danny shouldnt slag him off if u knew him ud think different and if u no wat happened that nite youd say different obviusly he had to go jail for it.
Your right I don't know Danny, all I know is that he played a part in taking away my cousins life and I find it very difficult to read comments that praise him. Also I'm very interested by your comment of "If u no wat happened that nite youd say different" Were you there that night?
i am a student at a collage and we have just been doing about 2 sides to every story and sometimes just one is heard. maybe the young person has killed the man but maybe he hasn,nt. people are 2 quick 2 accuse rather than way up the evidence. The person that this young man has alledgedly killed was the one with the weapon and maybe it was done in self defence rather than a cold blooded murder. The weopon used was not one belonging to the young man but the one belonging to the victim. Nothing justifies murder but if it was in self defence then yes. also if it wasn't then why did the young man end up with his fingers being copped off ?
as paul brooks has said you dont know danny so dont judge him. Yes he did kill a man but what did that man do to him. its not right that people think they know what went on when they dont have no idea bye for now
well i dont think that daniel got up that day an thought todays the day an then went out an did wat he did.my heart goes out to the family of christian.daniel is payin the price hes only young as well.there is always to sides to a story an in this case theres one side we wont ever know because it cant be told.this day an age people should think again before tryin to be a hero because as we can see they come off worse .the young people today dont stop an think about what there doin then when its done its to late.its a tragidy for both of them
look people can say what they like but at the end of the day do you know what danny was thinking did danny go out and look to kill that man that day. I know danny and he is a good lad i dont think that he would mean to kill anyone and now he is suffering of something he has done and he can do with out people saying things about him when they dont know him ok.
I lived with Danny's dad for just over 2 years and know Danny and Terri (his gf) very well. Danny is a good lad and the papers have portrayed him as nothing but a yob.
My goodness what planet are you people living on? a young mans life was snatched away and I find it very surreal that all I'm hearing is what a good lad daniel is! Do you have any concept of what is right and what is wrong? He has been convicted of being a murderer.
i am truly sorry for your loss but what was your cousin swing a samurai sword round for then in the first place?
a fair fight is ok in my book as long as the fight stops when one gives in.bullies are cowards they only fight if they know they cant loose.even worse are the ones who outnumber there apponents.people who attack others should be put into boot camp or a cell like the old dungeons and left to rot .
oh louise yes i do know danny i know him every well i am a good friend of the family and i know that Danny did not want to kill that man but he did and people that do not know him should keep out of it ok
jess, grow up. it doesnt matter who knows Danny and who doesnt. At the end of the day, this happened a whle ago now and supporters of d.w should just get over it.
Danny went to jail as a boy after doing a regrettable thing but he has grown up into a mature man after living with this burden over his head. he is a changed man and he knows he will never be able to change what he did or bring Christian back, all he can do is better himself each day with knowledge that he know something like this will never happen again from cause of himself, he is a changed man now, and would appreciate not to be judged by his past mistakes. im a close friend of his and i know in my heart he has changed and all he wants to do is move forward with his life with out any drama or more heart ache he is sorry for his actions, and his thoughts are with Christians family and friends even tho he knows they will never forgive him for what he has done, what more can he do he has payed his price and gone to jail and thank fully this has allowed to better himself as a person.