THREE men have been jailed for life after a 23-year-old man was murdered in Partington.

Before Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, Jason Carlos McPhee, 23, of Wood Lane, Partington, pleaded guilty to murdering Donald Donlan.

He has today, been sentenced to life in prison, and will serve a minimum term of 20 years.

Ian Brian Stringer, 23, of Wood Lane, Partington was found guilty of murder following a trial.

He has been sentenced to life in prison and will serve a minimum of 13 years in jail.

His father, Ian Stringer, 48, of Lingfield Avenue, Sale, was also found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 15 years.

At about 1.30am last November 1, Donald went to his cousin's house on Kent Road and said that Jason McPhee had just 'bottled' him.

Donald's cousin then heard a voice, which she believed to be that of Ian Stringer, and saw Donald chasing after three men down Kent Road holding a baseball bat.

Shortly afterwards screaming was heard and Donald was surrounded by at least 10 people, including Jason McPhee and the two Ian Stringers, in an alleyway at the back of Cheshire Road.

Donald was later found in a nearby back garden having been stabbed repeatedly in the chest, with blood pouring out.

He tried to get up and stagger down the alleyway, but McPhee, carrying a large knife, caught up with him and stabbed Donald again in the chest and side.

The two Stringers held back witnesses who tried to stop this attack, and said that Donald deserved to die.

Donald was on the floor again, and McPhee continued to stab and slash him all over the face and body.

Eventually McPhee left Donald, who was now completely covered in blood, but the two Stringers told him that now he had no choice but to kill him.

The stabbing then resumed, shortly before the police arrived at the scene.

Donald was still alive when officers got to him. He said that he had been stabbed several times. He was pronounced dead at Trafford General Hospital at 4.20am.

The post mortem examination revealed that four stab wounds had penetrated Donald's skull. One of the wounds, at his ribcage, went all the way through his body.

The pathologist concluded that only a very sharp knife could have caused these injuries, and that even then they would require the full force of a physically strong person.

McPhee and the two Stringers were later arrested by the police following a murder investigation.

Detective Sergeant Neil Coop said: "This was a very violent death at the hands of a group of merciless killers.

"Donald was put through unbearable pain, which nobody deserves to go through.

"We are grateful to the Partington community who helped us with this inquiry. They decided that enough was enough and that any tensions had gone too far."