Pictured: Faces of teenage killers locked up for total 34 years for 'cowardly' attack on teen

The names of his killers Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill can now be reported after restrictions preventing them from being named were lifted today at a televised sentencing at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Veadhesa who mistook Ronan for another youth, stabbed the 16-year-old in the heart just yards from his home, in Mount Road, Lanesfield, on June 29 last year. He and co-defendant Shergill were captured on CCTV armed with swords and creeping up behind defenceless Ronan who was completely unaware of their presence.

Sentencing them to life terms in detention Mr Justice Aklaq Choudhury told the defendants that if they had not been carrying weapons any confrontation would have been nothing more than a "scuffle".

He said the jury was "rightly concerned that" Veadhesa, of Cairn Drive, Bentley, in Walsall, and whom delivered the blows, intended to scare the intended victim over an unpaid £200 debt.

Mr Justice Choudhury said it was“cowardly” attack and that it was “disturbing” that such weapons could be bought “with ease” online.

“Ronan was a normal 16-year-old boy. He had nothing to do with gangs, drugs, violence or weapons. He didn’t even have any issues with either of you.

“He was targeted by mistake.When you realised it was Ronan you had stabbed, instead of showing humanity you both ran, leaving your friend to die in the street.”

"The devastation caused by that cowardly attack, by stabbing him from behind, is hard to comprehend for his family. Their loss is incalculable. Nothing I do or say today can relieve their pain,” the judge added.

Mitigating for Veadhesa barrister Mr Adam Morgan said: “He is genuinely remorseful. It is something he will have to bear for the rest of his life.”

The pair were found guilty of murder in unanimous verdicts following a jury trial in May. They had previously pleaded guilty to possessing swords.

They were driving round the streets in search of an entirely different 16-year-old when they came across defenceless Ronan, who attend the same school, in front of them. Ronan was struck with a blade ordered over the internet.

He was pronounced dead in the street yards from his Mount Road home at 8.30pm after being stabbed in the chest and side. Despite efforts of the emergency services Ronan sadly died at the scene.

For murder Veadhesa, was sentenced to 18 years detention and Shergill, of Bewley Road, in Short Heath, Willenhall, to 16 years detention, both minus 375 days already served on remand. For possessing blades each was sentenced to eight years concurrently.

The two youths were driven to the scene by Josiah Francis, of Westcote Avenue, Northfield; and Joseph Whittaker, 18, of Raven Hays Road, Rubery, both in Birmingham, who found not guilty of murder, and were completely cleared by the jury.