Teenager sentenced to life after stabbing stranger to death in Nuneaton

A 17-year-old boy from Nuneaton has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 13 years and three months on charges of murder and possession of a knife in public.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on 20 September.

It's after 25-year-old Tom Ellis was stabbed whilst out celebrating his birthday on 8 June on Queens Road in Nuneaton.

Tom had been on his way to a pub with his partner and family for a final drink following a day out in Birmingham.

The group passed by a group of four teenage boys.

Town centre CCTV footage from the night shows that there was a brief exchange of words between Tom and the boys, the offender twice choosing to go after Tom.

A member of Tom’s group attempted to deescalate the situation, placing herself between Tom and the 17-year-old (16 at the time), who was preparing to produce a knife from his waistband.

Tom was then stabbed in the chest.

The group of four ran off down Stratford Street, chased by members of Tom’s party.

The teenager who stabbed Tom had posted an image of the weapon taken on the floor of a toilet at Nuneaton's Asda store onto social media just hours before.

A relative of the offender said the boy had been behaving strangely after the incident, including leaving a bottle of bleach-based cleaning product out (when ordinarily he did not clean anything) and being evasive when approached about it.

Tom’s partner Alexis said “Tom gave me the best memories of my life, the day he left the world felt a little darker.

“Tom’s big smile, laughter and compassion will always be missing from our lives, but we will always love our Viking.”

Tom's dad Chris said "We'd like to thank the police for everything they've done as part of this investigation and all the support that they've given to us"

Detective Inspector Gareth Unett of the Major Investigations Unit said “This was a tragedy involving two complete strangers meeting at random, leading to one of them losing his life in a senseless act of violence.

“I would like to thank the officers and staff who have worked long hours to resolve this investigation, and to the local businesses who were helpful and supportive in helping us gather footage and evidence.

“Most of all to the family of Tom who have acted with absolute dignity during this investigation, I am grateful for their trust, and our thoughts remain with them.

‘It’s important I also acknowledge the courage of those who were present at the time of the incident.

“They had to relive the event during the preparation of their witness testimonies and will carry those memories for the rest of their lives. The investigation team remain thankful to them for having the courage and strength to give their accounts.

“Tom was clearly a kind, gentle, and much-loved individual. No sentence will bring him back, but I hope our investigation is able to provide some answers to Tom’s loved ones.

“Warwickshire Police and our communities will not tolerate people carrying knives. We continue to work with partners to educate and divert people away from knife crime. Where individuals carry knives or offend with knifes, we will seek to place them before the courts.

“It is vital you tell us if you think that someone is carrying a knife. It’s too late to save Tom, but you might save someone else.”