Teenagers caught on CCTV celebrating after stabbing an 18-year-old to death in 'savage and unprovoked attack' jailed for life
Jack Norton, 18, was stabbed to death in the attack in the West MidlandsHis killers, aged 19 and 16, 'whooped with excitement' as they fled the scene
A pair of teenagers who stabbed an 18-year-old to death as they taunted ‘you didn’t think we’d do it, we’ve f****** done it’ have been jailed for life.
Brandon Price, 19, and a 16-year-old boy who cannot be identified, ‘whooped with excitement’ after plunging a knife into Jack Norton’s chest in front of two horrified female friends in December 2022.
The pair were spotted celebrating on CCTV as they hollered: ‘You didn’t think we’d do it – we’ve f****** done it’. Police say the motive for the brutal attack on Jack, also known as Jack Lowe, remains unknown.
Both killers were convicted of Jack’s murder on November 23; Price was jailed for a minimum of 20 years while the 16-year-old, who was 15 at the time of the killing, will serve at least 15 years.
Their trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Price plunged a blade into Jack’s chest at a park in Darlaston, Walsall, West Midlands on December 7 2022.
Jack Norton, 18, died from a stab wound to the chest in December 2022 that was inflicted by Brandon Price, 19, and a 16-year-old accomplice who cannot be identified
Brandon Price, who has been convicted of Jack’s murder. A court heard he swung at the young man with the knife ‘without warning’ and struck him several times
The pair met Jack and two female friends in Franchise Street, Wednesbury before they turned on him and attacked him
The pair then ran away, dumping the knife in a drain as they ‘whooped with excitement’ and appeared to reenact the killing in footage shown to the jury
The court was told Jack had spent the day with two female friends and all three were walking along Franchise Street, when the defendants stopped to talk to them.
All five walked into Cook Street and onto a grassy field, known locally as Cookie Park, where the younger boy became aggressive towards Jack, saying things like ‘I want to learn to drive so I can drive at you,’ and ‘I want to put you on a fire and burn you’.
Jack then indicated to his friends that they needed to go and one of the girls suggested he should walk her home.
But as Jack went to fist-bump Price in farewell, he swung at him with a knife ‘without warning’, striking him several times. Price and his friend then ran from the park laughing as the two girls screamed for help and called 999.
The killers were caught on CCTV running down Cook Street re-enacting the stabbing, excitedly celebrating and dumping the knife in a drain.
Jack’s friends screamed for help and called 999 but despite emergency surgery at the scene, the young man died at the scene.
Detectives arrested both defendants within days of the murder and found traces of Jack’s blood on clothing they had worn that night.
During the trial, Price claimed he had acted in self-defence, whilst the younger teen admitted being present, but denied being involved.
The jury found them both guilty of murder after the court heard the younger defendant had ‘egged on’ Price.
Detective Chief Inspector Hannah Whitehouse, from West Midlands Police, said: ‘This was a totally unprovoked attack on a defenceless teen, who was simply hanging out with his friends, however the two defendants had jointly formed an intention to kill Jack when they came together.
‘His family still don’t know why he was targeted and this just adds to their distress and the injustice of his loss.
‘Now the sentencing has taken place we hope this allows the family the time and space they need to grieve.’