A WIDNES man has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of manslaughter over the brutal killing of a teenage boy.

Jack Butterworth was behind the wheel of an Audi A4 that rammed 17-year-old Brandon Regan off the road before he was stabbed to death in a row over a stolen motorbike.

Today, Wednesday, the 22-year-old, of Finsbury Park, was handed a lengthy jail sentence – having been last week convicted of manslaughter following a lengthy trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Twenty-five-year-old Lewis Gibbons, from Halewood, and Steven Jones, of no fixed address, were found guilty of murder and handed life imprisonments with a minimum term of 25 years and 21 years respectively.

Runcorn and Widnes World:

Lewis Gibbons and Steven Jones

Brandon Regan was found dead in the garden of a house on Critchley Road in Speke on Monday, January 29 2018, with the gang having chased the teen down after he had stolen 24-year-old cocaine and cannabis dealer Jones’ scooter.

Detective inspector Colin Rennison, who led Merseyside Police’s investigation, said: “Brandon’s death can only be described as tragic.

“He lost his life as a consequence of someone recklessly using a knife after the offenders chose to escalate a minor dispute over the theft of bike.

“Today’s sentencing cannot undo the hurt caused to Brandon’s family, but hopefully gives them some sense of justice as they continue to come to terms with their loss.

“Tackling knife crime is not something we and the courts can do alone and need a collective community response to put a stop to it.

“We continue to work closely with partners and other people about devastating consequences, which Brandon’s death sadly shows.

“If you know somebody is carrying a knife when they go out, I would urge you to contact police or Crimestoppers anonymously – we will act on all information reported to us to make our streets safer.”

Brandon’s family ‘expressed their thanks to family and friends for their support during this difficult time’, as well as to investigators on the case.