'Reservoir Dogs' boy appeals over conviction

One of the boys detained for murdering a 15-year-old in an attack that imitated a scene from the film Reservoir Dogs is to appeal, claiming the conviction was unsafe.

One of the boys detained for murdering a 15-year-old in an attack that imitated a scene from the film Reservoir Dogs is to appeal, claiming the conviction was unsafe.

The family of 16-year-old Graham Neary say he played only a minor role in the attack on Michael Moss, when the killers tried to cut off the victim's ear with a broken bottle before beating, stamping and stabbing him to death.

Neary, and 16-year-olds Allan Bentley and Mark McKeefrey, denied murdering Mr Moss on playing fields at Litherland, Merseyside last November. They were convicted last month and ordered to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure. The jury delivered a unanimous verdict on Bentley and McKeefrey, and found Neary guilty by a 10-2 majority. The court was told the attack had been prompted by Bentley's belief that Mr Moss was going out with a former girlfriend.

Neary's mother, Tina Neary, of Crosby, north Merseyside, told Radio 4's Today programme yesterday that she should not have allowed her son to stay overnight at Bentley's home on the night of the killing. "I let Graham down. I allowed him to stay in a house he was unfamiliar with and people he was unfamiliar with... and I'm paying the price for that too.

"Graham did hurt that child and I told Graham he would have to pay the price for the little part he played. But he didn't kill him, he didn't murder him, he didn't stab him. I took him to the police, we told it the way it was."