Killer Teenagers Jailed for Over 130 Years for Brutal Ambush Murder ‘Like Lions on Prey’
A group of killer teenagers have been jailed for more than 130 years after they ambushed their victim “like lions on prey” and attacked him with a 9.4-inch-long Rambo knife.
Chilling CCTV footage captured the final moments of Bailey Atkinson’s life. The 21-year-old was out with a female friend when his killers arrived in two stolen cars and chased him down Walsall High Street on January 28 of last year. Unable to outrun his attackers, Bailey was brutally assaulted with the knife and left for dead in a pool of blood. As reported by Birmingham Live, the murder weapon was left lodged in his shoulder. “I’m going to die,” Bailey mumbled as he lay dying in the deserted town centre. “Tell my mum I love her.”
During the trial, jurors heard that the attack resembled “lions on prey.” Asda staff, who had stepped outside for a break, partially witnessed the harrowing assault and rushed to Bailey’s aid after the killers fled. Bailey had wrenched the embedded blade from his body seconds before their arrival.
Medics determined that Bailey was so badly wounded that they needed to perform open-heart surgery at the scene. Seven individuals were convicted for his murder and sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court. Due to their age, the youth defendants cannot be named for legal reasons.
Patrick Brookes, 18, of Hunter Crescent, Wkalsall, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years. Ronan McCulloch, 19, of Livingstone Road, Bloxwich, also received life with a minimum term of 20 years. Sonny Loveridge, 20, of Irvine Road, Bloxwich, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 23 years. Benjamin Wilkes, 18, of Guild Avenue, Bloxwich, received life with a minimum term of 18 years.
One 17-year-old from Walsall was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 19 years, and another 17-year-old from Walsall received the same sentence. A 17-year-old from Marston Green was also sentenced to life with a minimum term of 19 years. Nvaah Whitter, 18, of Innovation Way, Walsall, was acquitted of murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter. A 16-year-old from Walsall was similarly acquitted.
Bailey had moved from Coventry to Walsall two years before the attack to “escape a gang lifestyle,” according to West Midlands Police. Footage shown to jurors depicted the stolen cars passing Bailey and his friend before turning around and driving towards them. The attack occurred outside Poundland, where Bailey was chased, surrounded, and repeatedly stabbed.
The attackers fled in the stolen cars, which they later abandoned and set on fire. Officers found stab wounds across Bailey’s body, including his back, arms, and legs. The “Rambo” knife was discovered underneath him. Initially conscious, Bailey told medics, “I can’t breathe,” before his breathing stopped. Despite CPR and being rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, he was pronounced dead at 2:55 AM.
A post-mortem revealed over 30 stab wounds, punctured lungs, and severed arteries, along with 65 bruises and abrasions. Bailey’s death was a tragic culmination of his attempt to escape a life of violence, only to fall victim to a brutal and senseless attack.