A man received a life sentence for the murder of the cousin of boxer Tyson Fury in a brawl outside a bar in Altrincham.

Liam O'Pray must serve at least 28 years after he stabbed Rico Burton and slashed a teenager, Harvey Reilly, last year.

A court heard how the brawl outside a bar on Goose Green started between friends of O'Pray and friends of Mr Burton and ended when O'Pray stabbed Mr Burton in the neck and almost severed the artery to his brain.

O'Pray slashed Mr Reilly two times, once to the abdomen and once to the arm, the court heard, before he was knocked unconscious.

The emergency services were called to the scene but, despite the efforts of passersby and paramedics, Mr Burton was declared dead.

Mr Reilly was treated for a 14cm cut to his abdomen which exposed his ribs and a large wound to his arm.

O'Pray admitted possession of cocaine and possession of a knife in a public place but he denied murder and wounding with intent. However, after a three-week trial, jurors convicted him of murder and wounding with intent too after three and a half hours of deliberation.

On August 4, he received a life sentence and Judge Alan Conrad KC said he must serve at least 28 years.

He said: “Yet again this court has to deal with death and devastation as a result of knives.

“You can blame all manner of things but the fact is it is you and others like you who choose to carry knives who are the problem.”

Judge Conrad added O’Pray, 22, of Little Moss Lane, Clifton, Salford, was “a stabbing waiting to happen”.

He said: “The impression left with me is you are always the victim. You showed pity for yourself but nothing for the victims of your offending.

“You showed no remorse for what you did until today.”

In a statement Deborah Burton, the mother of Mr Burton, said: “I’ve had my heart ripped out and cut into pieces bit by bit.”

And in a reference to his 32nd birthday, which was this week, she said: “There’ll be no celebration. Instead I’ll visit his grave.” 

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.