A detective investigating the case of Jack Woodley said the 10 teenagers locked up for his murder "worked together" to create an opportunity where he had "no chance".
The youths, aged between 15 and 18, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found guilty of murdering Jack in a group attack after attending the Houghton Feast in Houghton-le-Spring on October 16 last year. Newcastle Crown Court heard how the gang were said to be "looking for trouble" before they launched a joint attack on 18-year-old.
The court heard how Jack, who attended the fair with his girlfriend, was attacked and stabbed twice. He was stabbed once to the hip and a second fatal injury to his back, while he was near the Britannia Inn pub on Newbottle Street. Jack was rushed to hospital but tragically died the next day.
Read more: Jack Woodley murder: Ten teenagers jailed for 124 years after brutal gang attack
Following a trial at the court in Newcastle, a jury found all of 10 defendants, who cannot be named for legal reasons, guilty of murder. On Friday, they were sentenced by Judge Rodney Jameson QC to more than 124 years in detention.
The 10 defendants were all under the age of 18 at the time of Jack's death. Senior Investigating Officer, DCI Joanne Brooks, of Northumbria Police, said evidence shows they are all responsible for his murder.
She said: "Each one of those children chose to go in with their friends, with their associates, and attack Jack so they worked together and if they hadn't done that would Jack have been stabbed? Would the opportunity to stab him have come along? They worked together and they knew there was a knife.
"There was definite knowledge, so they were working together, they knew what each other were doing, they knew there were weapons in there and they chose, in that instant, they chose to go and get involved together and to create an opportunity where Jack had no chance"
DCI Brooks said Jack was trying to get away from them and they continued to attack him and at one point, when he did break free, they all then chased him down an alleyway and continued to assault him. She said that at no point did any of them think to stop or get help for him.
DCI Brooks said the force were able to bring them to justice due to witnesses who came forward and the work of specialist teams who "unpicked" CCTV and mobile phone footage. She said that without the witnesses they wouldn't have got the convictions and justice for Jack.
She said: "To get them children to come forward, I was quite struck with how much they wanted to help and how brave they were to do that. This case came at a time when some of these children were doing their exams so they were having to deal with going to school, doing exams and giving evidence in a murder case which is really quite commendable for them to be able to do that - but they wanted to do the right thing and you know that secured our conviction really."
The court in Newcastle heard how before the attack, one defendant asked if Jack was a "Townie" and that he was in "trouble" if so. Another was heard to say: "Why don't you get the chopper out and do him?".
DCI Brooks said that the comment about the "chopper" could be heard clearly on mobile phone footage which they obtained. She said: "That focuses your mind really that these children were going into a fight knowing that a knife if going to be used.
"It was shouted, it was very loud, it was so clear and it wasn't just said once. It was said a number of times and that group knew they were going into a fight with a knife. There was no doubt about that and quite brutally really the way that they said it 'get the chopper' out as if it was an order almost 'we're going' - really quite shocking."
DCI Brooks said that judging by the reactions of the defendants it appeared to her that they didn't think they were involved in a murder because they hadn't held the knife or used it. She said they didn't seem to understand the implication of the being involved in the fight and putting themselves in the scene.
She said: "These children knew there was a knife there and were quite happy to be with that person and be part of an assault where a knife was present and, you know, of course you are responsible for the murder. Even after he'd been stabbed they chased him down an alley and continued to assault him and that didn't seem to resonate that that wasn't right."
The detective described seeing them found guilty of murder as "devastating" and "really traumatic".
She said: "It was really bitter sweet because I do this job to get justice and to basically investigate serious offences and bring people to justice and get justice for the families of people who've been bereaved and the victims, but ultimately these are children, their lives are devastated and watching the impact of children getting found guilty of murder was devastating. I was in the courtroom and it was really, really traumatic."
She said it was difficult seeing children being taken down the stairs to jail. She said chose to watch the evidence again and it was the correct decision as they had caused Jack's death. She added: "It was hard, there's no winners in any of this."
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