Liverpool man jailed for the murder of a teenager in Shrewsbury

A 20 year old man from the Speke area of Liverpool has been jailed for life for the murder of Michael Warham in Shrewsbury last year.

Declan Graves appeared at Stafford Crown Court today (1 September) to be sentenced after being found guilty of Michael's murder. He was sentenced to life in prison, and will serve a minimum of 20 years.

Michael Warham, who was 16 years old, was stabbed through the heart by Graves on Wayford Close, Shrewsbury, after an altercation on Monday 1 August 2016 between two groups of males. Police were called shortly before 10pm that day and arrived to find Michael lying on the ground with stab wounds to his chest, abdomen and arm. He was taken to hospital for emergency surgery but sadly died three days later as a result of his injuries.

West Mercia Police Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson said: "The tragic fact of this case is that a young man has had to pay the ultimate price for the actions of another individual. Graves made the choice to carry a knife on that day and yet it was Michael who paid the ultimate price for this decision.

"I am thankful that justice has been served today and feel that the sentence handed out to Graves reflects the seriousness of his actions.

"This has been a challenging investigation and I sincerely hope that today's conviction is of some comfort to Michael's family who have been left to face the full repercussions of Grave's actions in the most painful way.

"Knife crime can have wide ranging consequences and this tragic incident highlights the dangers and impact it has on individuals, families and communities. Fortunately such incidents are rare across the West Mercia force area but that does not diminish the fear and distress they cause. I would call on anyone who is considering carrying a knife, for whatever reason they think they need to do this, to think again."

On 18 September, the force will be launching a four-week long knife surrender campaign.

Chief Inspector Sharon Cannings said: "While incidents as serious as this are rare it does bring home the damage knife crime causes to families and communities. In September we will be running a campaign aimed at encouraging people who carry knives to consider the consequences and give them the opportunity to surrender that knife anonymously."

During the campaign knife surrender bins will be located at the following police stations:

• Hereford
• Kidderminster
• Leamington Spa
• Nuneaton
• Redditch
• Rugby
• Shrewsbury
• Stratford-upon-Avon
• Telford
• Worcester

People surrendering knives at the stations will not have to leave their names or any details. However, if police suspect a weapon has been used in a crime they will examine it for evidence.