Teenager convicted of murder of Connor Dockerty

Detectives have today, Friday 3rd December, welcomed the conviction of a teenager for the murder of Connor Dockerty.

The 23 year-old was fatally stabbed in the chest in Kingsway, Huyton, on 19^th April this year and died in hospital.

A 15 year-old boy, who was 14 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, was  found guilty of murder. Sentencing will be at a later date.

A 44 year-old man John Batey, was found guilty of assisting an offender. Sentencing will be at a later date.

Detective Superintendent Siobhan Gainer from Merseyside Police said: "We know that knife crime can have a devastating impact – not only on the families of victims but whole communities.

"The murder of Connor Dockerty was senseless and has left a family grieving for the loss of a young man.

"What was more shocking was the age of the boy responsible and the fact that a young teenager appears to find it acceptable to carry and use knives.

"In just the last week we have had another devastating reminder of how dangerous knives are and I want the public to feel assured that work remains ongoing to address this issue.

"Tackling serious violence, and in particular knife crime, is a priority on Merseyside, not only for Merseyside Police but all partner agencies who are responsible for helping to educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives, protecting our communities and safeguarding vulnerable people.

"We need educational establishments, youth groups, and parents and guardians of young people to help us spread the message that knife crime is dangerous and make young people aware of the consequences of carrying a knife – on themselves, their families and their friends.

"We also need to make it socially unacceptable to carry a knife and change people’s attitudes about what is considered to  be acceptable behaviour.

 "This teenager will now face a considerable amount of time in custody and the repercussions of his actions will stay with him for the rest of his life.

"I hope that by everyone working together to tackle the issue that we can make a difference going forward."

• For more information about how you can help with the issue of knife crime go to #BladeFree - OurMerseyside