Teenagers locked up for fatal stabbing of Isaac Brown in West Bromwich

The 15-year-old was stabbed to death in New Square, West Bromwich just after 9pm on April 7 last year after an altercation between two gangs of youths.

Today (July 31) at Manchester Crown Court, Reehan Nezir, and a 14-year-old who can't be named, were sentenced to 13 and a half years in custody between them for the manslaughter of the teenager.

They had admitted manslaughter, robbery and possession of an offensive weapon in an earlier hearing.

Nezir, aged 18 and of Edith Road in Smethwick, was sentenced to seven years and three months for manslaughter; two years for possession of an offensive weapon, to run consecutively; and one year and nine months for robbery, to run concurrently.

The 14-year-old, who was 13 at the time of the offence, was sentenced to four years and six months for manslaughter, with no separate penalty for two robberies and the possession of an offensive weapon.

Isaac, along with two friends had arranged to meet up with Nezir, aged 18, and the 14-year-old, on the evening of April 7 last year to ‘sort out’ a dispute.

Earlier that same day, at about 6.30pm, a 12-year-old boy had been robbed in Smethwick by a group which included the two defendants. 

The victim was assaulted and his jacket was stolen.

Isaac knew the victim of the robbery through a friend and circulated various messages on social media to find out the identity of the attackers.

The two gangs met up outside the Odeon in New Square at around 9pm, with 'posturing' and threats made between the two gangs.

The 14-year-old, who carried the knife with him, handed it to Nezir, who stabbed Isaac, with Judge Justice Mark Turner saying the fatal blow was made with "considerable force which damaged the bone before piercing the heart".

Sentencing the two he said: "This was a random act of mindless violence carried out in the midst of a dispute between two groups of youngsters and it illustrates the dangerous nature of people carrying knives and how an act of retribution for an earlier robbery can have catastrophic consequences."

Victim impact statements read out to the court on behalf of Isaac Brown's mother, aunt and father described him as wonderful, loving, kind and happy, son, brother, grandson, nephew and cousin.

His father said he was now a broken man and his mother described how she would never see him grow up to go on his dream holiday or go to his graduation. She said last Christmas, their first without him, had seen the family place his ashes on the kitchen table and that it was an 'impossible time' for all of them to bear.

The court heard defence statements and letters read out by both defendants in which said they regretted their actions and had expressed deep remorse. 

Gurdeep Garcha, defending Nezir, said "No amount of regret will bring Isaac back, nor will simply saying sorry: but he has shown deep remorse for what he has done and that was reflected in changing his plea to guilty."