A teenager obsessed with his ex-girlfriend sent a series of frantic and desperate text messages to his gran as he hid from police after stabbing the father of his former lover to death.
Levi Westhead knifed Mark Webster 12 times outside his house before he fled the scene, leaving the dad to bleed to death in the kitchen.
The 18-year-old had visited his ex-girlfriend's home as a last ditch attempt to patch things up after being shunned by the 16-year-old daughter.
However, after being told to leave the house Westhead then grappled with the dad-of-two before landing the devastating blows, according to Lancashire Live.
During a trial at Preston Crown Court, Westhead, who lived with his grandmother in Flakefleet Avenue, Fleetwood, insisted he took the knife to the Webster’s home in Blackpool to self harm, after being shunned by their teenage daughter.
But as Mark Webster, known as Web, lay dying in the kitchen, Westhead hid in a nearby garden from police officers and tried desperately to contact his nan.
He told her: “NAN. I LOVE YOU. I’M SORRY. I WAS ANGRY, SO ANGRY.”
Moments later, officers from Lancashire Police found Westhead and arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder. Mr Webster was rushed to hospital but despite the best efforts of doctors and paramedics, could not be saved.
He died from his injuries on July 23 2021 and the teenager was charged with his murder.
During the trial, the court heard Westhead had a difficult upbringing and was estranged from both his parents. He was immature for his age and according to consultant psychiatrist Dr Stephen Barlow was “effectively, still an adolescent.”
“His adult personality is not yet developed or defined…”, Dr Barlow said.
Sentencing him to a minimum of 17 years behind bars, Judge Simon Medland QC said: “Your conduct at the Webster’s house was as if you were living out the consequence-free conduct which you would have seen playing computer games over many isolated hours in your room at home.
“You were at that short moment in a boiling rage – not so much against Mr Webster – but against life in general because you were being prevented from achieving your aim of getting to his daughter so that you could stage your dramatic outburst in front of her.
“You murdered a thoroughly decent family man who had never shown you anything but kindness and consideration who was heroically protecting his family in the private, gated back garden of the family home.”
Westhead will be 35 before he is eligible to apply for parole.
Detective Chief Inspector Jane Webb from Lancashire Police’s Force Major Investigation team said: “Levi Westhead became obsessed with Mark Webster’s daughter and when all his efforts to contact her had failed he has taken the drastic step of taking a knife to their home.
“Obsessive controlling behaviour is not normal or healthy in any relationship and the damaging use of social media platforms and the harassment by Westhead in this teenage relationship was the precursor to this awful attack.
“Sadly, his sentencing provides no relief from the dreadful loss that Mr Webster’s family and friends have suffered, and my thoughts continue to remain with them.”
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