Two teens murdered as house party turned into 'blood bath' and killers given life

Three men and two teenagers who murdered a pair of 17-year-olds in a "ferocious" ambush at a birthday party have been sentenced for a total of 126 years.

Dom Ansah and Ben Gillham-Rice were stabbed to death at a house in the Emerson Valley area of Milton Keynes on October 19, 2019.

Ben was stabbed six times in the living room of the three-bedroom house, and Dom was subjected to a "frenzied" attack after he ran from the property, a prosecutor previously said.

Jurors in the trial have been shown pictures of the living room, described as a "blood bath" and a "scene of carnage".

Two others were stabbed and left with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Ben Potter and Jamie Chandler, both 17, have been sentenced at Luton Crown Court to minimum terms of 22 years in detention for the murders.

Potter and Chandler's identities can be revealed after Mr Justice Spencer lifted reporting restrictions.

Earl Bevans, 23, Charlie Chandler, 23, Clayton Barker, 20, were also given life jail terms with minimum terms of 27 years, 27 years, and 28 years respectively.

Asked before sentencing whether the end of the process would bring any closure, Ben's father Jason Rice told PA: "It gives you a little bit, maybe, of that chapter's over, knowing that the people who (have) done it are behind bars, but no sentence will be enough."

This was echoed by Dom's mother Tracey Ansah, who said: "We just survive, every day. There's no meaning to it, because he's not a part of it.

"So no sentence will ever be long enough, and it's not something you will ever recover from."

Chandler, Barker, and the two 17-year-olds had denied both murders and two counts of wounding with intent.

However, jurors at Luton Crown Court convicted the four defendants of murder last month.

The four males were joined at sentencing by a fifth defendant, Bevans, who admitted two counts of murder and both counts of wounding at the start of the trial.

Mr Justice Spencer said: "The all too familiar background to these senseless and tragic killings was rivalry between gangs of young men, and the culture of violence and knives promoted on social media."

The judge added: "The violence that night escalated way beyond anything that had gone before.

"You, Clayton Barker, Ben Potter and Jamie Chandler, were enthusiastic members of the rival B3 gang.

"You, Charlie Chandler and Earl Bevans, were not members of B3, but you were closely associated with those who were and willing to lend your support that night in this revenge attack as part of the ongoing feud."

During the six-week trial, jurors heard the defendants were either members or associated with members of the B3 gang in West Bletchley, named after the MK3 postcode, and had planned the attack after receiving a tip-off that members of the rival M4 gang were at the party.

Prosecutor Charlotte Newell QC said the group stormed into the rear of the house in Archford Croft shortly after midnight, armed and with their faces covered.

She said: "The male party-goers were targeted and the attack upon them was immediate and ferocious.

"They had little or no time to react and little or no chance of protecting themselves.

"Within seconds of the arrival of the defendants' group, one young man was dead, two had been sliced with a knife or knives, causing serious, but mercifully not fatal injuries and a fourth was running for his life."

A post-mortem examination showed Ben had suffered injuries including a 20cm deep wound damaging his heart.

Dom was chased down and "hacked", jurors were told, suffering 47 injuries and dying in hospital three hours later.

Miss Newell said: "He appeared to have been a particular focus of the defendants' attention and he did not get away.

"Having run from the house he circled back into the street pursued by two of the defendants, where he slipped, thereby allowing the attackers to gain ground upon him.

"He was repeatedly sliced and stabbed as he lay on the ground."

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bosley, of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, said: “This has been a very large murder investigations in the history of Thames Valley Police, and I am pleased that we have brought these five dangerous offenders to justice.

“I would like to thank all of our investigation team, officers and staff, who worked diligently and professionally throughout the last 15 months to ensure justice was done.

“I would also thank all of the family liaison officers in this case, who have been with the families of the victims every step of the way, helping them to deal with the enormity of what has been a journey that no family ever deserves to go through."Follow the Official Rokna NEWS Telegram Channel For More and fresh NEWS.

Mirror