TWO teenagers who murdered a father-of-two will serve a minimum jail term of 14 years and can now be named as Luke Garner and George Keane.

At Newcastle Crown Court Judge James Goss today (Friday, September 20) gave the 17-year-olds indeterminate sentences for the killing of David Scott, just days before Christmas.

Mr Scott was attacked by the boys, who were 16 at the time, in the early hours of December 23, in the back lane of Rose Avenue, in South Moor, Stanley, County Durham.

He was stabbed five times with a knife, which was never found, and suffered a fatal wound to his lung, from which he died hours later.

During their murder trial both Garner, of Acton Dene, and Keane, Spen Street, both Stanley, blamed the other for the stabbing.

But a jury found them guilty of carrying out a ‘joint enterprise’ in which they were both willing participants.

Sentencing them, Judge Goss, Recorder of Newcastle, said: “The killing of David Scott was extremely needless. Two young children have lost their father and been traumatised. Their grandmother, who now looks after them, has lost a son. Their family are distraught by your actions.”

The judge said the attack on Mr Scott had been Garner’s idea following a disturbance at his mother’s house the previous evening and Keane had been recruited by his friend for help if the fight did not go as planned.

It was accepted that neither boy set out to kill Mr Scott, but said the carrying and using of a knife made it ‘always an inherent risk’.

The court was told that after the attack, together with Keane’s mother, Maria Keane, also of Spen Street, they concocted false alibis, telling police they spent the previous evening at her house and were there when Mr Scott was attacked.

Maria Keane, who is now four months pregnant pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at Durham Crown Court in July and will be sentenced for her role on October 11.

Neil Davey QC, mitigating for George Keane, said his client had been in and out of care since the age of 12 and said he would have not been involved had he not been friends with Garner.

Jamie Hill QC, for Garner, said the attack was the result of the protective role he adopted regarding his mother and sought to punish Mr Scott.

George Keane has already served 260 days and Luke Garner has served 256 days.

If they serve the minimum term they will be released when they are 30 years old, but will remain on licence for the rest of their lives.