Wellingborough teenage killer NAMED after being jailed for stabbing Dylan Holliday

A teenager killer found guilty of the manslaughter of Wellingborough 16-year-old Dylan Holliday has been named today (Wednesday) at his sentencing.

Reporting restrictions were lifted by judge The Honorable Mr Justice Dove to allow the naming of Jamal Waddell, 17, who had been found guilty of manslaughter, inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH) to Dylan’s friend and carrying a knife.

Waddell, found guilty of manslaughter of Wellingborough 16-year-old Dylan Holliday, was sentenced to a custodial sentence of 12 years with four years extended supervision.

Sentencing the two boys, judge The Honorable Mr Justice Dove called the killer a ‘dangerous offender’ and that he had been out of control when he committed the offences.

He said: “You turned what had been a peaceful afternoon for them into violence and chaos in a matter of moments.

"Dylan Holliday was killed by you Jamal Waddell; Dylan’s friend was attacked by you the second defendant and then stabbed in the chest by you Jamal Waddell causing him very serious injuries indeed and leaving him in hospital.

“That afternoon you Jamal Waddell were taken to visit your grandmother in Wellingborough having spent some time in care and supervision in Leicester.

"You had the benefit of the help and advice of social workers during that time, but you disregarded and betrayed that advice when, by some means or another, you obtained a knife with a vicious blade which you then hid in your clothing and took with you to Wellingborough.

"As the jury found, you did not have that knife with you for your own protection but you had it with you as an offensive weapon.

"I have no doubt that, as happened, you had the intention to use it to cause serious injury to others.”

The Judge added: “The carrying of knives in public with a criminal intention has an appalling impact on the lives of our towns and cities: the deaths and injuries which are caused by these weapons shatter lives and fracture our communities.

"Everyone should listen to the lived experience of Dylan’s mother, who said in her moving victim personal statement, that people need to “put the knives down and stop taking lives”.

"It is a lesson which this case typifies and must be learned if our communities are going to be safe places to live.”

The court heard impact statements from Dylan’s mum, dad and 14-year-old sister.

In a statement to Waddell, dad Nigel Holliday said: “When you took Dylan from me, you took everything from me. Life will never be the same.”

Mr Holliday remembered how Dylan was a a ‘good lad’ who would whistle to let his dad know he was there and help himself to ice cream from his freezer.

He said to Waddell: “I hope you rot in hell for what you did. What I feel for you is beyond hate.”

Dylan’s sister said she loved her brother so much and that she knew that Dylan was looking down on them.

Dee Walsh, Dylan’s mum, described her son as her best friend and her soul mate and that he was her rock.

She said: “He was a lovely young man. Even though he had a stammer he would say hello to everyone.”

Dylan Holliday, 16, was stabbed 13 times as he ‘chilled and relaxed’ with his best friend in the A509 underpass near Shelley Road, on the Queensway estate, on August 5, 2021.

The killer, who admitting carrying a knife from the age of 13, claimed he had stabbed Dylan in self-defence - the jury of five men and five women at Coventry Crown Court found him guilty of manslaughter in August following a four-week trial.

The killer’s co-defendant, also aged 17, and who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty under joint enterprise, of inflicting GBH to Dylan’s friend and carrying a knife.

He was given a 12 month Youth Rehabilitation Order.

Chief investigating officer on the case, Detective Superintendent Joe Banfield of Northants Police said: “The message is ‘stop carrying knives’.

“The judge passed a decent sentence and recognised that he (Waddell) is a dangerous individual.

"The judge has recognised that knife crime is the scourge of our towns and cities and hopefully the sentence will be a deterrent.

"But it’s little comfort to his mum, dad and sister. There’s no winners in this case. Justice has been served but it won’t bring Dylan back.”