A jury has found 10 teenagers guilty of murdering Jack Woodley.
The teenagers have been standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court accused of murdering 18-year-old Jack, which they denied. But after lengthy deliberations, the jury foreperson returned a guilty verdict of murder in respect of all defendants on Wednesday afternoon.
The youths, aged between 14 and 18, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found guilty of murdering Jack in a group attack after attending the Houghton Feast, Houghton-le-Spring in October last year. The trial previously heard how the youths were "looking for trouble" after attending the fair before Jack, from County Durham was attacked with punches, kicks, stamps and the stab.
Read more: Jack Woodley murder trial: Teen admits he was first to hit him and says it's 'ridiculous' he died
After days of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts shortly before 1pm on Wednesday. Many of the defendants were visibly shocked by the verdicts, with some holding their head in their hands. One member of the public gallery was escorted out of the courtroom following a loud outburst.
Judge Rodney Jameson QC said that the youths would not be sentenced until a later date and said reports would need to be put together for all. The court heard that reports for the defendants will take around four weeks to be prepared.
The judge told the court that written submissions will need to be made to the court and that sentencing could potentially take place on Friday, August 5 - although that date has not been fixed. The youths were remanded into custody until their next court appearance.
During the trial, a teenage witness told the jury that Jack had been approached by a group of boys accusing him of saying he was going to punch one of them, but he told them he hadn't said anything. The witness, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said Jack had been in a good mood at the Houghton Feast and was having a good time with his friends on the rides and had not engaged with the other group before they approached him on their way out.
The witness said that one of the defendants ran up and punched Jack from behind before others started attacking him. The youths kicked, stamped and punched Jack while one of them stabbed him in the back, causing a fatal wound with a "Rambo-style" knife near the Britannia Inn, in Newbottle Street.
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