This was the chilling fantasy teenage thug David Watson turned into a sickening blood-thirsty reality.

After spending the night binge drinking and watching violent videos on the internet, 18-year-old Watson and two friends decided to wreak terror on the streets of South Shore.

Kieran Whitfield – walking home after a night out in town – tragically crossed the paths of the teen thugs at the wrong time.

As the former decorator made his way along St Annes Road, South Shore, the gang set upon him in a completely unprovoked attack.

Watson rained in first with a headbutt and punches. A stunned Mr Whitfield suddenly saw a knife and started to run from the trio.

But two of the teenagers caught up with the 22-year-old near to the junction with Aintree Road.

Watson stabbed Mr Whitfield four times.

The knife was then passed to the 17-year-old, who cannot be named.
He stabbed the helpless victim another three times.

Mr Whitfield suffered a terrible catalogue of injuries in the attack. One of the stab wounds severed his spinal cord.

But the savage beating was not over yet.

The third member of the gang – 18-year-old Zacharay Penn – kicked Mr Whitfield as he lay stricken and bleeding on the ground.

In a shocking prologue to the attack, the gang filmed a video on a mobile phone.

It showed one of the men, thought to be Watson, with blood all over his hands.

During the film, which they had deleted, but was recovered by police experts, they appeared to plot how to cover up the crime.

But they were finally brought to justice when Watson told a member of staff at a homeless centre where he was living that he was "disgusted at what he had done".

A day later he gave a witness statement to police, blaming the 17-year-old, who had already been arrested.