Life sentence for man who murdered Milton Keynes teen Jay Fathers
Watch Jay Father's dad, Jason react to the sentencing outside court
A man has been told he will serve a minimum of 28 years in prison for stabbing to death a teenager in Milton Keynes on New Year's Day.
18 year old Jay Fathers, from Milton Keynes, died of a stab wound to the abdomen during an altercation in Walshs Manor in Statonbury.
Callum Aylett, 21, of Walshs Manor in Statonbury, was today sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 28 years for murder.
He also received a 12 year sentence for wounding with intent to cause GBH on another man. The sentences will run concurrently.
After the sentencing, DCI Andy Shearwood, Thames Valley police spoke outside court about how this had been a tragic case.
"Jay was not known to the offender. He wasn't the intended victim, he didn't know that this assault was coming but he stood up to somebody who was intimidating, threatening and bullying others," he said.
In August, Aylett was convicted of murdering 18-year-old Jay and wounding another man, 49-year-old Nicholas Grant, with intent.
The court had heard how on New Year’s Eve Aylett, had been drinking brandy and smoking cannabis, and his girlfriend, and were watching New Year fireworks in the garden when a chair leg was hurled over the fence, hitting his girlfriend.Just before 1am, he spoke into his camera and said he was going to stab the people next door. He armed himself with two kitchen knives and went to the address.
Jay Fathers had arrived shortly before to celebrate the arrival of the New Year with his friends. He received five deep penetrating wounds and, at the end, was left “mortally wounded,” said the prosecutor.Mr Grant, who had armed himself with a curtain pole, was stabbed twice by the defendant and staggered outside the house where he collapsed.Aylett left the scene and hid the two knives in his mother’s toilet cistern.Giving evidence, Aylett said he had acted in self-defence that night as he found himself under attack by Jay Fathers who was armed, he said, with a knife and Mr Grant who was brandishing a pole.
WARNING: This video from the police may be distressing
The court heard an argument had been brewing on social media before the murder. On December 30 last year there had been a confrontation in the street outside the defendant’s home.
In court, Aylett had his head bowed in the dock as victim statements were read. One of Jay’s sisters Holly Fathers said, “Another senseless stabbing, another life taken away, another family ripped apart.”
"What has happened is the worst thing I have ever experienced as a father. I would do anything I could to protect my family," Jay's father Jason added.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Shearwood described Jay as a popular young man who had his whole life ahead of him.
His death had, "saddened the local community and has left his family having to come to terms with this unimaginable loss," he said.“The escalation of what was a relatively minor dispute to the death of Jay will probably never be fully understood, but I am satisfied that his killer has been brought to justice and will serve an extremely long time in prison as a result," Mr Sherwood said.“Thames Valley Police is committed to removing the scourge of knife crime in our communities and will tirelessly work to make our communities a safe place to live and work,” he added.