Judge hands life term to teenage murderer

Jimmy Connors was given a life sentence at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of the murder of Joe Walker.

Mr Walker, 23, from Sheffield, suffered a single stab wound to the back after attending a party in the Manor area of the city in the early hours of September 21 last year.

Paramedics and police tried to revive him at the scene in Raynald Road, but he later died from his injuries at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital.

Connors, of Atherton Road, Arbourthorne, Sheffield, was arrested on September 23 last year and charged with murder the following day. He was found guilty by a jury following a two-week trial.

Detective Inspector Melanie Palin of South Yorkshire Police said: “I hope this tragic case serves as a deterrent to others who are thinking of carrying knives on the streets of Sheffield and South Yorkshire.

“The simple fact is, if people aren’t carrying knives, then they can’t be tempted to use them.

“While nothing can bring Joe back, I hope that seeing Connors brought to justice today will come as a small shred of comfort to Joe’s family.”

In a statement after the trial, the parents of Mr Walker said they were still “numb” as a result of their son’s death.