Teenage mugger rips off his electronic tag before murdering student in savage attack

Joseph Booth, 18, who was being monitored after being convicted of a string of violent incidents, managed to get the tag off his ankle.

Minutes later, fuelled by alcohol and cannabis, Booth and the 15-year-old beat, kicked and stamped on the victim, who was left so badly disfigured his family could not recognise him.

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The 15-year-old also rifled through Seffar Khan's pockets, taking a cigarette and a lighter, before they left him to die.

Booth and the schoolboy were later arrested after making a series of admissions to family and friends about their roles in the attack in Bobby Heywood Park, Bolton, last November.

Inquiries revealed the pair regularly trawled the park looking for victims. Both had been convicted previously for attacks in the area.

Booth, of Tildsley Street, Bolton, had previous convictions for threatening behaviour, assault, battery and robbery when victims were punched or threatened with a knife in the park.

The schoolboy had also been convicted of offences involving robbery in and around the park.

Now they are starting life sentences after admitting murdering the 19-year old student.

A judge told them: "The two of you joined in an unprovoked, sustained and brutal attack on an innocent young man."

Mr Justice Christopher Clarke said Booth, who had been drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis, had knocked Mr Khan to the ground before the 15-year-old repeatedly stamped on his head.

"Mercifully he was probably unconscious for most of the blows," said the judge.

Booth was ordered to serve at least 12 years, 60 days before he can be considered for parole.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was told he must serve at least nine years and 240 days.

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But Seffar's brother Quamar Iqbal, 32, said the sentences were too lenient.

"A 50-year sentence would not have been enough. We've lost a very important part of our lives," he said.

"One of the lads ripped his tag off before he went out that night. We were really shocked when we heard his previous convictions in court.

"The judge said it wasn't a racial attack, but what else could it have been?

"Seffar was a gentle giant. His life has been wasted."

Seffar had two brothers and three sisters. He was working as a waiter at a restaurant, but had studied a diploma in plastering and was setting up his own business.

Quamar added: "Everybody in my family is devastated and heartbroken. It's going to be like this for the rest of our lives."

Mr Khan's murder was a double blow for his close-knit family. Just a year earlier, a cousin was stabbed to death in Bolton. His killer is serving 11 years for manslaughter.

After Mr Khan's murder, more than 400 mourners attended his local mosque before his body was flown to Pakistan for burial.