A teenager has been jailed for eight years and six months for manslaughter and possession of a blade.
17-year-old, Dylan West of Bonneville Road, Hinckley, was out in the town with three friends on the evening of Sunday 6th October, 2019.
While they were in the area of Richmond Park he was involved in an argument with one of them, 18-year-old Joshua Taylor.
West threw a Bluetooth speaker on the floor and an argument escalated into a fight.
Shortly before 1am on Monday 7 October, armed with two kitchen knives, he confronted Joshua in Sword Drive.
Joshua was stabbed in the chest and died at the scene.
A post-mortem examination revealed the victim died from a single stab wound.
The defendant was arrested later on the same day and charged with murder, however following a trial he was found guilty of manslaughter.
Dylan West was jailed for eight years and six months for manslaughter and two counts of possession of bladed weapon.
Detective Inspector Jonathan Blockley from East Midlands Special Operations unit murder investigation team was the senior investigating officer during the investigation. He said: “What began as an insignificant fallout between a group of friends on a night out in Hinckley ended with a young man losing his life.
“There are absolutely no excuses for carrying a knife. If you choose to carry a weapon you are more likely to use it. The force takes knife crime extremely seriously and are working tirelessly to warn youngsters on the dangers and consequences. The #LivesnotKnives campaign was launched more than three years ago and continues to be a priority for the force.
“I hope this incident serves as a warning to others. If you know someone who carries a knife in public or has been involved in violent crime we would urge you to report your concerns to the police. We work closely with a number of organisations including local authorities in order to educate people, early intervention can prevent serious injury or the loss of life. ”
Joshua’s sister, Lucy Taylor, released the following statement alongside the above image of her brother following the court hearing.
She said: “October 7th last year is a day I will never forget, the day my whole life changed forever. The day my beautiful brother was so selfishly taken away from us.
“A son, grandson, nephew, cousin and best friend taken in such a senseless act. Every morning I wake up and think twice, was this just a sick joke? But then I see the heartache and pain in my family’s faces and instantly have that ball of sickness and anger in my stomach.
“Josh (pictured) was my only sibling, there was just 13 months between us. There’s not one day in my life I haven’t seen him and now he has been ripped away from us all.
“I’m never going to see him get older or have children. I will never be an auntie. How can I come to terms with that?
“Our lives have changed forever, family and friends are heartbroken and devastated, and the impact on our local community has been immense.
“Josh was a bright, smart and kind boy with so much potential, a whole life ahead. He didn’t deserve to die in this way. No parent should ever have to bury their child.”
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