Two to be sentenced over racist axe murder
Two relatives of a Premiership footballer will be sentenced today for the racist murder of black teenager Anthony Walker.
Anthony, 18, was slain with an ice axe after he walked away from thugs shouting racist abuse in Huyton, Merseyside, in July.
Michael Barton and Paul Taylor, the brother and cousin of Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton, will be sentenced to life imprisonment at Preston Crown Court, sitting in Liverpool.
The minimum tariff for a racially aggravated murder is 30 years, although that figure is likely to fall following mitigation.
Taylor, 20, who swung the axe, pleaded guilty to murder two weeks ago.
Barton, 17, who started the confrontation and supplied the weapon, was found guilty of murder yesterday.
Anthony was waiting at a bus stop with his cousin and girlfriend when Barton began hurling racist abuse on July 29.
Anthony, a devout Christian, did not retaliate but simply walked on to wait elsewhere.
As they cut across a park, they were ambushed by Barton and Taylor, who had driven ahead to wait for them.
Anthony’s cousin and girlfriend escaped but he was attacked by Barton, who struggled to get the better of the powerfully-built basketball fanatic.
When it became clear Anthony was winning the fight, Barton shouted “Get him off me!” and Taylor struck him from behind with the axe – which smashed his skull and embedded in his brain.
Taylor later told his girlfriend that he had to act “because Michael was getting battered“.
Anthony’s mother, 49-year-old Gee Walker, saw the axe sticking out of his head in hospital and she was at his side when he died five hours later.
Yesterday an investigation was launched after racist graffiti was daubed at the scene of Anthony’s murder.
Barton and Taylor will be sentenced by Mr Justice Leveson.
