A teenager who killed his friend with a kitchen knife in Wythenshawe earlier this year, has been jailed.

Denver Walton, aged 18, was jailed for seven years and three months for killing his friend, Tyrelle Burke.  He was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter by a jury at Manchester Crown Court.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Bryan said Walton’s 20-year-old victim had his life ahead of him and everything to live for. “You took that life away,” he said. “Your offending is yet another sad indictment of the fact that knives, drugs, alcohol and youths do not mix.”

Walton, Tyrelle and another friend spent some time together on the night of  April 3rd. They had taken Xanax and a drug known as ‘lean’ which contains both codeine and promethazine mixed with fruit juice.

The following afternoon, the three had  a party with a group of friends in a room that Tyrelle rented at the Britannia Hotel, Northenden. Before they got there at around 6pm, They had all taken Xanax and once there they also took cocaine and cannabis, and were drinking lean mixed with fizzy drinks as well as Ciroc vodka and Courvoisier brandy.

At around 5.50am Walton, Tyrelle and another friend, Kerris Stone went back to the house where Tyrelle lived with his mum and younger brother in Crossacres Road.

After further drinking, a fight broke out between Walton and Tyrelle, and he made clear that he wanted you to leave the house.

Walton had told the court he picked up the kitchen knife and stabbed Tyrelle in self-defence. Walton then fled from the house with the knife in his pocket.  Walton discarded the knife to the rear of his house, after cleaning himself up before running away from the police.

Mr Justice Bryan, told Walton in his sentencing remarks: “Sadly, despite prompt and skilled medical intervention Tyrelle died from the injuries you had inflicted shortly after 5pm the same day.

“Having inflicted what had proved to be fatal wound on Tyrelle, you did not stay to assist your friend.

“On the contrary, you ran from the scene, and discarded the knife with which you had inflicted that fatal injury after first visiting your house to clean yourself up.

“Tyrelle was only 20. He had his life ahead of him and everything to live for. You took that life away.

“Your offending is yet another sad indictment of the fact that knives, drugs, alcohol and youths do not mix.

“I have had careful regard to the personal victim statement of his mum. It makes painful reading. For her, and her other children, life will never be the same again.”