Nineteen-year-old Brandon Price and a 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, were both convicted of Jack’s murder today.
On December 7, 2022, Jack was spending the day with two female friends when Price and the younger boy approached them on Franchise Street. The group then walked into Cook Street and onto a grassy field known as Cookie Park. During this time, the younger boy started behaving aggressively towards Jack, making threats that caused Jack to feel uneasy and wanting to leave.
After a short while, Jack signalled to his friends that they should go, and one of the girls suggested that he walk her home. As Jack went to bid farewell to Brandon Price with a fist bump, Price unexpectedly swung a knife at him, striking him multiple times.
Price and his accomplice fled the park laughing, while the two girls screamed for help and dialled emergency services. Despite receiving immediate surgical intervention at the scene, Jack tragically succumbed to a stab wound to his heart.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown.
Footage from CCTV cameras captured Jack’s assailants running down Cook Street, visibly celebrating their actions before discarding the knife in a drain on Franchise Street. The knife was later recovered by the police.
Within days of the murder, detectives apprehended both defendants, and traces of Jack’s blood were found on the clothing they had worn that night.
During the trial, Price claimed that he had acted in self-defence, while the younger defendant admitted being present but denied any involvement. However, the jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court saw through their lies and found them guilty of murder. Sentencing is scheduled for January 5th.
Detective Chief Inspector Hannah Whitehouse, who led the investigation from the homicide unit, expressed her condolences to Jack’s family. She described the attack as a completely unprovoked and premeditated act against a vulnerable teenager who was simply spending time with his friends.
