Irthlingborough man Brayden Phillips jailed for killing Wellingborough's Kyle Ghanie in Northampton town centre

A 19-year-old man who admitted the manslaughter of Kyle Ghanie in Northampton has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison.

At about 4.30pm on August 20 last year 18-year-old Kyle was on the corner of Abington Street with his pregnant girlfriend when he was attacked by Brayden Phillips, from Irthlingborough.

Within moments of recognising his former friend, Phillips launched an attack on Kyle that lasted less than 10 seconds but saw him inflict fatal head and brain injuries.

Phillips punched Kyle repeatedly, knocking him to his hands and knees before continuing to punch and knee him to the floor, causing catastrophic injuries.

Paramedics found Kyle, who grew up in Wellingborough, was in cardiac arrest and he was rushed to University Hospital Coventry. He was placed on life support, but his injuries were so severe he died two days later.

Northamptonshire Police launched an investigation following the attack and Phillips was arrested and charged with murder soon after Kyle’s death.

At a hearing at Northampton Crown Court on February 9 this year Phillips pleaded guilty to manslaughter, after the prosecution accepted that the attack was the result of a chance meeting, where Phillips sought an opportunity to carry on a previous incident that happened in December 2017.

Last week (Friday, March 24), a sentencing hearing at the same court heard how the pair had not seen one another since, until they passed by chance in Abington Street.

The court also heard how in July 2019, Phillips had fractured another boy’s jaw, leaving him requiring surgery, and as part of his sentence had undergone a one-punch education intervention which would have made him aware of the danger posed by any form of physical assault.

Kyle’s parents addressed the court to speak of their pride in their son, and the whole family’s anguish and pain at his death.

A statement read on behalf of his girlfriend detailed the happiness and joy he brought her, and her heartbreak that he never got to meet their son.

In mitigation, the judge heard how Phillips and Kyle had been good friends before the 2017 incident, with Phillips ‘devastated at the consequences of his actions’ in August 2022.

Opening sentencing, His Honour Judge David Herbert KC told Phillips: “Kyle was a loving son, brother and partner, who was soon to be a father. It was clear he brought happiness and joy to all of his family.

“He had his whole adult life ahead of him when you killed him. Kyle was looking forward to fatherhood, now his child will never know his father.

“No sentence I pass will reduce the grief and loss they will continue to feel for the rest of their lives.”

Judge Herbert told Phillips he had been the aggressor in the incident, and highlighted that although it was a brief attack it was unprovoked and continued when Kyle was on the floor and defenceless.

He added: “You left the scene knowing he was seriously injured and unconscious, and later messaged a friend effectively boasting about what you had done.”

He ordered Phillips to serve 10 years and six months in a young offenders’ institution, telling him he will serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release on licence.

Speaking afterwards, senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Simon Barnes, of EMSOU, said: “Today, we stand with Kyle’s family, partner and friends in their grief at the senseless loss of a young man who was very much loved, who had worked hard to turn his life around, and who had a bright future ahead of him.

“Nothing can bring Kyle back, but I hope that knowing the man responsible for his death has been brought to justice can offer them some small comfort.

“There are no winners in a case like this, where one man’s decision to give in to anger has destroyed so many lives. It sadly demonstrates that any recourse to violence can be deadly.

“On behalf of my whole team, I’d like to pay tribute to Kyle’s family and partner, who have conducted themselves with dignity and courage throughout this whole heart-breaking case. The memories they have shared are ones of a loving, kind, thoughtful, and principled young man, excited for his future. Together, we will remember him.”

Kyle’s family have also released a tribute via Northamptonshire Police.

They said: “Our son had become a man that we will always be proud of, he was to become a father himself.

“The court result will never bring our son back but Kyle will always live on in our hearts, and we will make sure that our grandson knows what a wonderful father he would have been to him.”