'This is a story of wasted lives; of my son's life, of those of his attackers and their familes': Mother of Northampton murder victim speaks out at court sentencing

"Those men will never understand the damage they have done"
Christopher Allbury-BurridgeChristopher Allbury-Burridge
Christopher Allbury-Burridge

The convicted killers of Christopher Allbury-Burridge were told today (November 29) that the risk of violence 'ought to have been obvious' on the night of the attack.

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Before the sentences were handed down, the court heard impact statements from many of Allbury-Burridge's family and friends.

It was said that several members of his family had lost out financially, as well as emotionally, because they were either too shaken by the event to go to work, or had taken weeks off unpaid in order to attend the trial.

They all portrayed Christopher as a caring, considerate person. They said he reminded those around him not to be 'too materialistic' and to live each day to the fullest.

The court heard how Christopher helped to care for young people with mental difficulties at Saint Andrew's Hospital in Northampton.

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He also spent time in Ethiopia teaching English with his cousin, who described Christopher as his 'brother' and that he was 'the last person in the world' to deserve what was done to him.

But the standout remarks came from Christopher's Mother who said: "This is a story of wasted lives; of my son's life, of those of his attackers and their families.

"Those men will never understand the damage they have done."

Jordan Parker, of Chingford Road, Walthamstow, was given 15 years' imprisonment for conspiracy to rob, 22 months for having an article with a blade or point, each to be served concurrently with a life sentence for murder, minimum term 26 years.

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Two of Parker's accomplices, Calum Farquhar, aged 24, of Liverpool Road, Leyton and Rakeem Leandre, aged 26, of Brewers Court, Norwich, were given the same.

Meanwhile the fourth man, Joel Cyrus, 26, of Whitney Road, Leyton was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy to rob, to be served concurrently with another 14-year stretch for manslaughter. This was because Cyrus had stayed in the car during the attempted robbery.

In her closing remarks on the case, Her Honour Judge Lucking QC said she did not believe Parker's claim that he had brought the knife primarily as a tool for gaining entry to the house, as it had a tool attached on the opposite end to the blade.

Instead she believed that it was brought 'primarily as a weapon' intended to 'threaten' or even enact serious bodily harm or death.

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Her Honour said: "I assess the seriousness of the offence is particularly high because this was a murder for gain.

"The aggravating factor is that the death took place as part of a planned robbery.

"It clearly carried a high risk of serious violence, which ought to have been obvious to the offender.

The defendants showed little emotion throughout the sentencing. Once proceedings were finished, they waved to their friends and family who attended before being escorted back into custody.