A music pupil has been sentenced to fifteen years in jail for killing a college undergraduate with a “Mafia stiletto” knife.
Shiloh Pottinger was discovered responsible of manslaughter final month after the dying of 19-year-old Luke O’Connor in Manchester in October 2022.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court heard that the pair had been concerned in an argument as Mr O’Connor and his mates walked residence from a celebration within the metropolis’s pupil space of Fallowfield.
When a light-hearted remark was made about Pottinger’s skateboard, a struggle broke out and Mr O’Connor was stabbed repeatedly with the flick-knife.
The Manchester Metropolitan University pupil was taken to hospital however died a short time later.
Pottinger, a music producer and pupil at BIMM college, made a “pathetic” over-reaction to the joke with threats of violence, however rugby participant Luke, within the second yr of a enterprise diploma, refused to be cowed and as a substitute stood as much as him and laughed, the court docket heard.
Pottinger first used his skateboard to assault Mr O’Connor then stabbed him eight occasions with the blade earlier than working off.
The defendant – who was 19 on the time of the killing – denied homicide and claimed he had been performing in self-defence.
The choose dominated that he should serve 10 years earlier than being thought of for launch.
In a press release learn outdoors court docket, Jason O’Connor mentioned his son Luke was “the glue” of their household and that their lives “feel empty without him”.
Mr O’Connor mentioned: “Luke was extremely loving, considerate and generous and we all enjoyed spending lots of time with him.
“Luke had a very infectious love of life with many ambitions and hopes which sadly he didn’t get to fulfil.
“He did not get to fulfil these hopes and ambitions because his life was snatched away from him by a coward with a knife. Shiloh Pottinger, who has shown no remorse.
“Luke was killed by eight knife wounds to the physique in a random assault following a flippant skateboard remark.”
Mr O’Connor said the 15-year sentence did not “mirror the magnitude of the crime or the lack of Luke’s life”.
He referred to as for stricter sentences for knife crimes and extra management on the entry to knives.
Source: information.sky.com”