Death school boy detained

A 15-year-old boy was ordered to be detained for three years at the Old Bailey for his part in the violence which led to the death of the headmaster Philip Lawrence.

A trivial incident of barging between Christopher Gan and another boy in a corridor at Mr Lawrence's school, St George's, in Maida Vale, north London, led to a feud and Gan, a Filipino, threatened to take his friends to beat up the other boy .

A gang later attacked the boy. Mr Lawrence was stabbed to death by the gang leader, Learco Chindamo, when he went to help the victim. Gan was convicted of conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm.

Mr Lawrence's widow, Frances, was in court as Judge Neil Denison said he accepted that Gan "had no direct involvement in the killing of Philip Lawrence". He told the youth: "I accept that as far as that is concerned you deeply and genuinely regret it."

The judge lifted an order under the Children and Young Persons Act which had previously prevented Gan from being named.