Two men have been sentenced after a fatal attack that took the life of a beloved dad-of-four.
Mohammed Rabani, 19, and Robbie Battista, 18, have now been sentenced following the horrific incident on the afternoon of June 20 last year.
The pair were involved in a brutal attack on Nathaniel Wardle outside an address on St Hilda’s Avenue, Holy Cross, in front of the victim’s young son.
Nathaniel, 43, who was known to his loved ones as Natty, was found with stab wounds and was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene.
An investigation was immediately launched by police and extensive CCTV, house-to-house and forensic enquiries were carried out - leading to the arrest of Rabani and Battista.
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Rabani, who was 18 at the time of the incident, and Battista, who was 17 at the time, were each later charged with murder and possession of a bladed article.
Rabani and Battista both denied murder but admitted the charge of possessing a bladed article ahead of trial.
On January 9, following a seven-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court Rabani was found guilty of manslaughter after being cleared of murder. Battista was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter.
Today (Thursday), the pair returned to the same court and were each sentenced for their role in the attack.
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Rabani, of Weldon Crescent, Heaton, was sentenced to a total of 12 years and six months after being convicted of manslaughter and possession of a bladed article.
Battista, of Holystone Crescent, Heaton, was sentenced to two years suspended for two years after being convicted of possessing a bladed article.
Speaking after the sentencing, senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Louise Jenkins, of Northumbria Police, said: “Once again I want to say that our thoughts are with Nathaniel’s loved ones following his tragic death.
“As a Force we are committed to tackling violent crime in all its forms and we will continue to play our part, alongside our partners, to protect communities and take swift action against those found to be involved.”
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In a previous statement Nathaniel’s family said: “Our hearts remain broken, Natty was an incredible father who loved spending time with his kids, so having our first Christmas and New Year without him has been unimaginably difficult.
“Not only has the loss been felt as we have been together as a family but having the ordeal of a trial during this time has only added to the pain we’ve felt.
“We also find comfort in knowing those who knew Natty can remember the funny and generous man he was and smile.
“He will be greatly missed but will still always be a part of our lives through his children who he loved so much.”
A third suspect, aged 17, also stood trial for murder and possession of an offensive weapon but was cleared of all charges.
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