The killer of 19-year-old Delaney Brown has been told he will serve a minimum of 24 years in jail.
Judge Richard Foster handed Kyle Beckford the life sentence after a jury this morning found the Marsh Farm 22-year-old guilty of murder.
Beckford, of Waleys Close, killed 19-year-old Delaney in September last year by mounting the pavement in Vincent Road in astolen BMW and deliberately knocking the teenager from his bike, causing fatal injuries.
Beckford, who was part of a rival gang to his former friend, had denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Speaking after today’s verdict, Det Chief Insp Stephen Collin, said: “It is always sad to see a family lose a young person in such violent circumstances and my sympathies remain with Delaney’s family.
“Delaney and Kyle were friends when they were at school but as they became adults they grew apart. With information received from the public we now know they became involved in opposing groups of young men who were involved in crime.
“We believe the motivation for this incident was brought about by the personal contempt that grew between Kyle and Delaney.
“After several incidents involving the two publicly showing contempt towards each other, Beckford deliberately took this opportunity to kill Delaney and now he is facing the consequences of his actions. He is now 22 and facing a lengthy sentence, which means he will be middle aged by the time he is released – he will have lost the best years of his life because of the choices he made.”
Det Chief Insp Collins said it had been “a difficult case” from the beginning, and thanked key witnesses who showed “bravery and courage” by coming forward to make formal statements, without which he said the result would not have been possible.