A teenager who stabbed a young man to death with a Rambo knife has been jailed for a minimum of 19 years.
After killing Keagan Crimes, 27, mobile phone data showed Noel Reade desperately googled how to remove blood from clothes.
The 17-year-old was found guilty of murder in January after a four-week trial
He can now be named for the first time after reporting restrictions were lifted.
Reade pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon earlier on during the trial.
His victim, Keagan Crimes, 27, described as a "gorgeous fun-loving son", suffered a fatal wound to his chest.
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Chester Crown Court heard how Reade, who was aged 16 at the time, was in Cheviot Square, in Winsford, on the evening of October 11 2020.
He was armed with a weapon, believed to be a Rambo knife, and was with four other teens.
The group were seeking out two men - one of whom was Keagan - who were inside the Premier Store.
The court heard Reade believed the pair were part of another group they were feuding with.
CCTV showed that as the men attempted to leave the shop, Reade and his group ran towards the premises to gain entry.
Reade - along with others - was then seen armed with the Rambo knife, kicking, banging and pushing at the door.
Eventually, the group gained access, causing the two men to escape via a stock room door.
Reade and his associates later encountered another group - containing Keagan and Jason McQuoid.
While some fled, the court heard how the teen remained, brandishing the knife towards the group
A fight then broke out - during which Keagan sustained a deep stab wound to the upper chest area.
Jason McQuoid attempted to use a tree branch to swipe out at Reade but fell to the ground before he was stabbed in the left shoulder and chest area.
CCTV showed Reade run into a nearby kebab shop where he remained inside for several minutes - he later ran from the scene with the weapon.
A senior paramedic found Keagan lying still and unresponsive on the ground, and became aware of Mr McQuoid who was in a distressed state with slash wounds to his chest.
They were both taken to hospital but Keagan was pronounced dead at 1.25am a day later.
A medical examination found he had lost an estimated 33 pints of blood from a single stab wound, which entered his heart near his left shoulder.
Mr McQuoid was treated for his injuries and later discharged.
Detectives were able to piece together mobile phone data and CCTV images from the incident, and following the attack.
These revealed that Reade was at the scene and contacted his mother, who arranged for a taxi to collect him from the Cow Lane area of Winsford.
His sister travelled from Crewe in the taxi and accompanied him home.
Forensic examination of the scene identified DNA, which was later attributed to the teenager.
After looking through Reade’s phone, it was found that call logs from October 11, 2020 had been removed and that he had searched phrases such as ‘does blood wash off shoes’, Rambo knives and guns.
Reade was arrested on 14 October 2020 and later released on bail while enquiries progressed. In April 2021, he was re-arrested and, during interview, indicated he had attended the scene with a knife with the intention of scaring off the group of boys and had acted in self-defence.
On June 21, 2020, he was charged with Keagan’s murder, section 18 wounding with intent in relation to Jason.
He was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
Two other boys (then aged 15 and 16) were also charged with affray in relation to the incident. They were dealt with at an earlier hearing on 21 July 2021. Both were sentenced to 12 month intensive Youth Referral Order.
Detective Inspector Adam Waller, who led the investigation, said: “The sentence handed down by the courts today reflects the nature of the attack that led to Keagan losing his life.
“Throughout the investigation and trial, Reade has shown no remorse for his actions and I know that the courts will have taken this into account when sentencing him today.
“My thoughts, and that of our team, are with Keagan’s family who have had to sit through and listen to distressing evidence, reliving his last hours that no-one should ever have to listen to. I hope in some way, knowing that Reade will be behind bars for a significant time, will bring some comfort to know that we have secured justice for Keagan.”
