On October 16, last year, Jack Woodley, 18, was out with friends at Houghton Feast when he was attacked.
Emergency services were called to nearby Newbottle Street, where they discovered him dead.
Jack, from County Durham, was taken to the hospital but died the next night from his injuries.
He’d been stabbed twice, once in the thigh and once in the back, killing him. He also suffered a number of other injuries that were consistent with a sustained assault.
An investigation was immediately launched, and over the next few days and weeks, ten teenagers aged 14 to 17 were arrested and charged with Jack’s murder.
Due to their ages, the suspects cannot be identified for legal reasons.
A jury found these ten teenagers guilty of murder today. They were remanded in custody and will be sentenced in August.
Throughout the investigation, Northumbria Police Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Brooks has served as the senior investigating officer.
This is a truly tragic case in which a young man has lost his life,” she said, “and our thoughts are very much with Jack’s family and loved ones.
Jack had the rest of his life ahead of him. He had just picked up the keys to a new flat in Sunderland and was just days away from starting a new job when he was attacked.
He had all of this taken away from him by the actions of those convicted of being responsible for his death.
What happened that night ruined dozens of people’s lives.
I want to send a clear message to anyone who chooses to carry a weapon or believes that violence is acceptable – the consequences can be disastrous.
