Two cousins who murdered a black teenager with a mountaineering axe in northern England were jailed for life Thursday for the racially-motivated attack that shocked Britain.
The judge in Liverpool, north-west England, said Paul Taylor, 20, would have to serve at least 23 years and eight months in jail and accomplice Michael Barton, 17, at least 17 years and eight months.
It followed their conviction last month for the murder of 18-year-old Anthony Walker, a black student who was attacked in the suburb of Huyton in July as he was walking home with his white girlfriend.
"This was a racist attack of a type poisonous to any civilised society," Justice Brian Leveson told Taylor and Barton at Liverpool Crown Court.
"There is no difference between people of different races, each trying to live out their lives in peace. In spite of your youth, deterrent sentences are vital," he said.
Passing sentence on Barton, who supplied the axe and initiated the confrontation, the judge said: "You crept into the park with evil on your mind and then effected your ambush."
Taylor showed no reaction as he was led from the dock, while Barton simply nodded to members of his family as he was away by the authorities. The Walker family remained silent while the sentence was passed.
The judge told the pair: "You took from Anthony Walker his most precious possession, that is to say his life and all it held for him.
"He was a young man of enormous promise, lost in a moment. You have damaged forever the lives of those who loved him," he said. "Further, you have destroyed your own lives and affected the lives of all who are dear to you. You have done it to yourselves," he said.
Leveson told Taylor he accepted that he did not start the confrontation but said that he "quickly allied yourself to it".
He said that if Taylor had not driven his car to find Walker and his friends after the initial confrontation, the tragedy would never have happened.
He told Barton that although he did not wield the axe, he was jointly responsible for the murder.
He said: "This was a terrible incident and you played a full part in jointly bringing the ice axe to further your terrifying attack.
"You knew what you intended to do as you drove searching out your quarries and you crept into the park with evil on your mind."
Defence lawyers, citing mitigating circumstances before sentencing, said Taylor was "deeply sorry" for the crime while Barton was dim-witted and had not intended to kill Taylor.
Barton is the brother of a local Premier League football star, Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton.
The trial was held in Liverpool but the jury was selected in Preston, 30 miles (50 kilometres) away because of the high-profile nature of the case.