Man who murdered Tyson Fury's cousin jailed for life with minimum of 28 years

A man who murdered the cousin of world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury with a single blow from a knife has been jailed for life.

Liam O’Pray, 22, from Swinton, was given a minimum term of 28 years for the murder of Rico Burton, 31, during a brawl outside a bar.

The trial, at Manchester Crown Court, was told trouble began after a fight between the defendant’s friends and Mr Burton’s family and friends at Goose Green, a courtyard of bars in Altrincham.

A jury previously heard that O'Pray had armed himself with a lock knife, which he plunged into Mr Burton's neck during a 3am brawl outside King Pong bar.

The wound 'almost completely divided' a major artery in Mr Burton's neck, causing 'a massive, fatal haemorrhage'.

Jailing him for the mandatory life sentence for murder, Judge Alan Conrad KC told the defendant: “You were a stabbing waiting to happen.

“Yet again this court has to deal with the death, injury and devastation as a result of a knife being taken out.

“You can blame all manner of things but the fact is you, and others like you who chose to carry knives, that’s the problem.”

Mr Reilly suffered a 14cm gaping wound to his chest wall, exposing his ribs, and large wound to his left arm.

Cannabis, cocaine and ketamine were found in the defendant’s blood stream, tests later showed, and he had three wraps of cocaine on him when arrested shortly after the incident.

O’Pray was also found guilty of wounding with intent by slashing and stabbing Harvey Reilly, 17 at the time and now 18, during the same incident in the early hours of Sunday August 22 last year.

Mr Burton’s death prompted his boxing champion cousin to post an impassioned plea on social media about knife crime, declaring that “this needs to stop”.

In his Instagram post, Fury said: “Life is very precious and it can be taken away very quick enjoy every moment… RIP Rico Burton may the lord God grant you a good place in heaven. see you soon.”

Sarah Reilly, the teenager’s mother, said: “I just want to say a huge thanks to the police. The families are going to put time and strength and effort into campaigning against knife crime.

“It is every day. It needs to stop. There are laws and legislation that exists that are not being used, it needs to be policed more robustly.”