Men jailed for life for murder of 34-year-old man

Two men have been jailed for life for murdering a 34-year-old man.

Ryan Burton, from Corby, Northamptonshire, died in hospital on 16 January, six days after being assaulted in Spring Rise Park, near Highfield Road, Kettering.

Keiton Underwood, 20, of Bridge Street, Desborough, and Ace Hill, 19, of Minden Close, Corby, changed their pleas during their trial and admitted murder.

During a sentencing hearing at Northampton Crown Court on Monday, they were sentenced to life imprisonment and Underwood must serve a minimum of 23 years and 29 days and Hill must serve 20 years and 33 days.

After release Underwood and Hill will remain on licence for the rest of their lives.

The pair were standing trial with four other defendants who were similarly sentenced on Monday after changing their pleas:

• Cameron Williams-Ferguson, 25, of High Street, Kettering, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment
• Kyle Derek McSkimming, 24, of Pen Green Lane, Corby, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years and 10 months imprisonment
• Connor White, 25, of Spencer Street, Rothwell, who pleaded guilty to a separate robbery that he committed along with Underwood and was sentenced to 43 months

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and was given a six-month youth referral order at an earlier hearing on 18 November.

During the sentencing, Mr Burton's mother, Diane Burton, had her victim impact statement read to the court.

She described her son's attackers "like a pack of hounds".

Over the six days he was in hospital, Mr Burton had numerous operations and was placed into an induced coma before he died of sepsis.

"I'll never know what he felt or what he heard in those final hours of his life," Ms Burton's statement read.

"I heard his first breath in this world and watched his last breath leave. When his chest stopped rising and falling that night, a part of me died.

"Now, my only thoughts are of him in pain screaming at a stranger's door telling them that he was going to die," she said.

Det Supt Johnny Campbell, from Northamptonshire Police, said it had been "incredibly complex and challenging" investigation.

"It is clear that the six people convicted all acted as one team that night and they have all had to take accountability for their actions," he said.

"The message from Northamptonshire Police is clear - if you choose to be any part of a group, whether you are selling a knife, whether you are committing a robbery or whether you are involved in the murder itself, you will be treated as one group."

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