Two teenagers have today been sentenced to a total of 30 years for carrying out a fatal knife attack at a Hemsby party.
Jesse Quaye, 18, of College Court, Crittens Road, Great Yarmouth, and a 15-year-old Ayomindy Bile - who can now be named after Judge Stephen Holt lifted reporting restrictions - were both sentenced to a minimum term of 15 years in custody.
It comes after they were found guilty of murdering 20-year-old Connor Barrett following a trial in November last year.
Mr Barrett, of Abyssinia Close, Great Yarmouth, died as a result of a fatal stab wound following a 'joint attack' at a 21st birthday party at The Glebe on May 10, last year.
• Connor Barrett's family describe horror of their loss
Sentencing the teens at Norwich Crown Court, Judge Holt said they were both 'heavily into a knife carrying culture'.
He said: 'This is a deeply tragic case. There are no winners. A decent and loving young man has had his life taken leaving his family and friends devastated and a young son's life decimated.'
He added: 'The one message that must go out is young men who carry knives they won't be able to pull them out and use them. If you use a knife and kill you will spend a long time in prison - even if you are a boy.'
Police were called to reports of a disturbance at the party, at which Mr Barrett had been the unofficial DJ, and found him with serious injuries to his chest and back.
Post mortem results showed Connor, of Abyssinia Road, Yarmouth, had received four stab wounds but died as a result of a single stab wound to the chest which had pierced his lung.
Judge Holt said Mr Barrett was a 'much loved young man who was the life and soul of the party'.
He said: 'By all accounts he was a thoroughly decent young man who had just taken on the responsibility of fatherhood.'
The judge said any words he said will be of 'little comfort' to Mr Barrett's family and friends who will 'have to live with the loss for the rest of their lives'
He said Mr Barrett's son Ashton would have to 'grow up never knowing your father'.
Both defendants were also convicted of causing actual bodily harm to another man Ricky Halliday, who was another guest at the party.
The 15-year-old pleaded guilty, and Quaye was found guilty, of possessing offensive weapons, namely knives.
Also sentenced this afternoon was a third defendant, Anthony McLean,41, of Gatacre Road, Great Yarmouth, who was found guilty of assisting Quaye to evade justice by driving him to London in the hours after the attack.
McLean was jailed for four and a half years.
So many people wanted to attend the sentencing that the court had to be re-arranged, resulting in a 25 minute delay to proceedings.
The packed courtroom made for a tense atmosphere.
Amjad Malik QC, prosecuting, urged the judge to increase the starting point of 12 years as both defendants had 'taken knives to the scene'.
He said the case highlighted how serious the use of knives 'routinely' by young people in our society can be 'for the purpose of aggressive violence'.
He added: 'This happened in the family home and those young people who had full view of this tragic attack must now feel the added fear factor of violence when going about their daily lives.'
Judge Holt lifted a section 39 order banning the naming of Bile as it was 'in the public interest' to do so following his conviction.
The court heard that at the time of the murder Bile was on bail after being arrested for being in possession of an offensive weapon just a month before.
He had also been guilty of two robberies - one when he was 13 and one aged 14.
Quaye, had a reprimand for threatening behaviour in 2012.
Stephen Spence QC mitigating for Bile, said: 'There's very little I can say about this offence. He now seems to accept the probability of his involvement in the assault.
'His position in relation to the murder of Connor Barrett is as it always has - because of drink and drugs he has no recollection of what took place at that party.'
Mr Spence said his client accepts possession of the knife but they do not accept the knife was taken for the purpose of murder.
He said it was not 'pre-planned' but a 'moment of madness'.
He added: 'He has to accept the sombre fact that he will be spending as long behind bars as he has already been on this earth.'
Paul Keleher QC, for Quaye, said there was a lack of intention to kill, a lack of premeditation and a degree of provocation.
He said that while there was evidence Quaye brought his knife to that party but there was no intention 'to use it or act violently'.
He said it was a 'tragic fact' that many young men feel the need to carry a knife 'usually out of bravado'.
He added that this case, like so many others, highlighted 'what can happen as a result of carrying a knife'.
Mr Keleher QC said he realised the impact his actions have had on Mr Barrett's family and also his own.
The court heard Quaye's partner was expecting his first child at the end of the month.
Mr Keleher QC said Quaye realised he now would not be around to see his child grow up.
Lori Tucker, for McLean, said her client was at the time of an offence an alcoholic and is being treated for depression.
She said Quaye was a friend of his son's who he himself treated like a son.
She said there was no evidence that he had disposed of Quaye's clothing.
More than 50 detectives, officers and staff were involved in the murder investigation, launched by the joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team.
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