The identities of three teenagers who stabbed an innocent man to death in a random and brutal attack in Telford can finally be revealed after they turned 18.
An Innocent Man in the Wrong Place
Peter Cairns, aged 26, was fixing a broken moped with a friend on Rough Park Way in Telford, Shropshire, on the evening of 11 June 2021. He had recently lost his job but was actively seeking new work, a testament to his character according to police.
Tragically, his life was cut short when a group of armed schoolboys, on their way to a pre-arranged fight with a rival gang in the Woodside area, confronted him. A verbal altercation escalated, and the teenagers produced weapons, including a kitchen knife which was plunged into Mr Cairns's chest.
He died in hospital from the fatal wound. His friend was also injured but made a full recovery. The attackers fled the scene, discarding their weapons before being tracked down by police.
Justice Served and Identities Revealed
Following a nine-week trial at Stafford Crown Court in February 2022, two of the youths were convicted of murder. Ronnie Bevan, who was 15 at the time, and Archie Prestridge, then 16, were both detained for life with minimum terms of 13 years.
A third teenager, Leo Pickford, also 16 at the time of the murder, admitted the charge and was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 11 years. A fourth boy, aged 16, was acquitted of all charges.
Due to their ages, the killers' identities were protected by reporting restrictions. These were lifted as they reached adulthood, allowing them to be publicly named for their crime.
A Life Lost and a Stern Warning
Detective Inspector Lee Holehouse, who led the West Mercia Police investigation, emphasised that Peter Cairns was a completely innocent victim with no gang connections. "Peter was a good man," he stated, highlighting the profound and lasting loss for his family.
He issued a stark warning about the reality of gang violence: "There is no glory in gang activity. An innocent man has lost his life... As for the three defendants, they will spend what should be the best years of their lives in prison."
Mark Paul of the Crown Prosecution Service reiterated that the attack was unprovoked, describing Mr Cairns as "a completely innocent young man who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
