Scott Cooke park murderer jailed for 20 years
A father-of-one was jailed for life today for the murder of a man he stabbed through the heart as rival gangs squared up on a car park in Shropshire.
Peter Clinton was told he would have to serve a minimum of 20 years in prison before he would be considered for parole.
He was convicted of the murder of 23-year-old Scott Cooke in Shrewsbury by majority verdict while his friend Damen McDonough was cleared of murder but found guilty of Mr Cooke's manslaughter.
McDonough, 24, of Darville, Shrewsbury, was sentenced to 10 years in jail by Judge James Burbidge today.
During the five-week trial, the jury had heard that Clinton, 25, of Caradoc View, Hanwood, slashed unarmed Mr Cooke five times to the chest as up to 20 others clutching metal bars and bottles watched at Monkmoor Recreation Ground on December 27, 2011.
Birmingham Crown Court heard the showdown came about because Mr Cooke had been 'enraged' by a burglary carried out by Clinton, McDonough and Aaron Doran at a friend's home in Abbots Road, Shrewsbury.
Judge Burbidge said Clinton and McDonough armed themselves with matching knives taken from a block in McDonough's kitchen before driving to meet Mr Cooke and others, who themselves had weapons including metal bars and bottles.
Doran, 25, of Cornmill Square, Shrewsbury, was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter by the jury yesterday.
He was sentenced to 12 months in jail for the aggravated burglary but will be released immediately as he has already served the time while on remand awaiting trial.
