Teenager jailed for murdering boy

A teenager was jailed for a minimum of 12 years yesterday for stabbing to death an 11-year-old schoolboy and dumping his body in a park to stop his victim revealing he had made a sexual advance on him.

Michael Hamer, 15, admitted at Manchester Crown Court he had murdered Joe Geeling, who suffered from the incurable condition cystic fibrosis, after luring the youngster back to his house.

Outside court, police described Mr Hamer's actions as "cold, premeditated and chilling."

Detective Superintendent Martin Bottomley said the Crown Prosecution Service had instructed lawyers to consider whether the sentence was "unduly lenient."

He said he believed Mr Hamer had yet to tell the full story about Geeling's murder.

Geeling vanished in March on his way home from St Gabriel's Roman Catholic School in Bury, Greater Manchester. Prosecutors said Mr Hamer, who went to the same school, had faked a letter from school staff saying Geeling had to meet Mr Hamer because he was going to act as the 11-year-old's mentor.

The meeting was to take place at Mr Hamer's home.

Mr Hamer, who was 14 at the time, attacked Geeling at the house, repeatedly hitting him about the head with a frying pan until it broke. He then took some knives from the kitchen and stabbed him 16 times.