'Feral' teenage brothers who killed Junior Osborne named for first time

A 50-year-old father was killed in Leicester by a "pack" of "feral" teenagers - including twins who had celebrated their 16th birthday the day before the fatal attack. Before the siblings were sentenced today, the honourable Justice Neil Calver agreed to a request by LeicestershireLive for reporting restrictions to be lifted so the pair could be named publicly for the first time.

The identities of Nero McLean and his twin brother Nevardo McLean were previously protected by law due to their age. Nero McLean was last month convicted by a jury of murdering Junior Osborne in Narborough Road just after 9.30pm on Wednesday, September 27, last year.

During the trial at Leicester Crown Court, CCTV was played showing Nero McLean sprinting across Narborough Road, near to the Subway takeaway, and stabbing Mr Osborne in the back of the neck with a "very large knife" as he was on his bike on the pavement outside a shop where two children were playing. The knife went through his jugular vein and down into his abdomen, cutting one of his lungs.

READ MORE: CCTV clip shows Nero McLean, 16, sprint up behind Junior Osborne ahead of fatal attack

Meanwhile the four other defendants shouted encouragement from the opposite side of the road. The others were Nevardo McLean, Moises Steiner, 18, of Dovedale Road, in Thurmaston, Theobald Budzwa, 18, of Ash Court, Groby, and James Williams, 18, of Pelham Way, in Leicester city centre. All four were found guilty of manslaughter by the jury.

At the sentencing hearing today, Nero McLean was given a life sentence, and must serve a minimum of 17 years behind bars before parole can be considered. The four found guilty of manslaughter were each jailed for eight years, and will all have to serve two thirds of their sentences before they are automatically released on licence.

As well as the names of Nero and Nevardo McLean, both of Upperton Road, West End, Leicester, it can also be revealed for the first time today that all five of the defendants had previously been caught by police with knives. Budzwa had a caution for carrying a knife in Northampton town centre while the other four all had convictions for possessing blades.

Williams and Nero also had convictions for using threatening behaviour from an incident about three months before the murder of Mr Osborne.

During the sentencing hearing, Kate Blumgart KC, the prosecutor, read out a statement from Julie Osborne, Mr Osborne's wife and the mother of his daughter. She described how he had grown up on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, moving to England at the age of 25 after the volcano on the island erupted.

She said: "He was a smart person who had an entrepreneurial spirit. In 1997 he came to the UK to try and rebuild his life, leaving his loved ones behind.

"He made plenty of friends and had a family and children who loved him. Junior was a kind and loving person.

"He wasn't an angel and got mixed up with the wrong people over the last few years, sadly, but he didn't deserve to die in such a tragic way.

"The loss has left a huge hole in our hearts. His life was taken by children trying to act as adults."

Sentencing the five killers, who had gathered at a West End flat and filmed themselves playing with knives before the murder, the judge said: "The circumstances of Junior's death at your hands are now well known. On the afternoon of September 27 you all met at 3 Andrewes Walk in Leicester to plan to attack Junior.

"You all took steps to be secretive and cover your tracks. All save from Nevardo wore face coverings. You deleted Snap Chat messages and one of you got rid of the knife.

"None of you assisted the police. All of you have lied consistently throughout or remained silent.

"Before the killing you were excited, showing off before the attack in order to send video clips to your friends. Three of you brought your large knives to the flat as a prelude to the assault on Junior.

"All of you were accustomed to carrying knives in private and public. This was normal behaviour for you despite its stupidity.

"You left the flat with three knives in order to find Junior and attack him."

The judge said he could not say why the teenagers attacked Mr Osborne but that he was sure Nero McLean did intend to kill him. He said: "It may have been all of you were promised money but I can't be sure of that.

"Junior was riding away from all of you when he was attacked. He was blissfully unaware this feral pack of youths intent on attacking him was making its way towards Narborough Road."

Addressing Nero, the judge said: "You plunged the knife into the righthand side of Junior's neck. The force required was towards the severe end and on any view it was a brutal, cold-blooded killing that took him by surprise.

"A crueller, more heartless killing is hard to imagine."

The judge told the teenagers they had destroyed their own lives and many others. He said: "You took the life of an innocent man and now you have destroyed your own lives, as well as the lives of the people who loved Junior Osborne and those of the people who love you.

"You will have a long time in custody to reflect on the damage you have each inflicted on so many lives."