Oldham stabbing: Teen jailed for murder of man who attacked a house

 A teenager who murdered a man during a fight between two rival gangs has been jailed for life.

Karl Marler, 17, stabbed Charlie Elms to death after the 25-year-old fell in the street while running away from an attack on a house in Oldham in May.

Marler, previously of Third Avenue in Lime Side, Oldham, was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison at Manchester Crown Court.

Det Ch Insp Carl Jones said the attack was “a shocking episode of violence”.

Greater Manchester Police said Mr Elms was in a Vauxhall Corsa with five other men which pulled up to a property on Fifth Avenue in Lime Side at about 17:00 GMT on 26 May.

All six got out and began to attack a house, which had another group of men inside, but they began to retreat when Marler, a 16-year-old boy wielding a meat cleaver and two others came out of the property, a force spokesman said.

IMAGE SOURCE,POLICE HANDOUT

Image caption,

Mr Elms was one of a group of men who arrived to attack the house which Karl Marler was inside, police said

Four of those fleeing got into the Corsa, but Mr Elms and another man were left behind, and as the car drove off, the boy threw the cleaver through its window.

Mr Elms and the other man attempted to run away, but tripped and fell on Third Avenue.

The spokesman said that allowed Marler to catch up and fatally stab Mr Elms.

He added that six men had admitted violent disorder in connection with the incident, one man had pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed instrument and two 16-year-old boys had received referral orders for their parts in what happened.

Speaking after sentencing, Det Ch Insp Carl Jones said the actions of all those involved in the incident were “completely inexcusable”.

“This was a shocking episode of violence, which very sadly led to the death of a 25-year-old man,” he said.

“Thankfully no-one else sustained any serious injuries that day, but the outcome could have been far worse.”

……………………………………………………………