‘My son’s last words were his killers’ names…now they can be heard at last’

Charlie Herbert

The boys were unable to be named because of reporting restrictions

A father of a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in Bolton has spoken of his “relief” that his son’s killers can finally be named.

Reece Tansey was stabbed six times on May 4 2021 after being attacked near Great Lever Park in Bolton.

The teenager and a friend had been set to meet up with James White, 16, and Mark Nuttall, 15, for a fight in the middle of the night, according to Greater Manchester Police.

But when Reece’s friend didn’t turn up, the 15-year-old arrived alone, unarmed and outnumbered.

There, he was stabbed six times by White and Nuttall who had snuck out of their homes with knives. The pair then fled the scene, leaving Reece for dead.

But with his dying breath, he was able to tell two passing strangers the names of his attackers, something that would prove crucial in getting his killers convicted, the Manchester Evening News reports.

White later posted a video of himself carrying a knife covered in blood on Snapchat, accompanied by the word “muppet”.

He then sent a message to Nuttall, which read: “I thought it only went through his coat so I kept doing it.”

He added: “He’s dead now.”

Nuttall responded with a laughing emoji.

They were arrested a short while later.

In a trial at Manchester Crown Court, the court heard how White and Nuttell were fuelled by the bravado of social media and liked “pretending they were gangsters.”

But throughout the trial, the killers were unable to be identified because of strict reporting restrictions, with the pair only referred to as Boy A and Boy B.

This was until last week, when both the Manchester Evening News and the Bolton News applied for the reporting restrictions to be lifted. This request was granted by Justice Farbey.

It was subsequently revealed that White, who had been found guilty of murder and sentenced to 15 years in jail, and Nuttall, who was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to six years behind bars, were the ones responsible for Reece’s death.

#UPDATE | Two teens jailed following the killing of 15-year-old Reece Tansey have been named for the first time.

The boys, who were jailed last month after being convicted of causing the death of Reece from #Bolton, have been named for the first time https://t.co/jfbJKvaZ5H pic.twitter.com/F3h28hQzkr

— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) February 4, 2022

Reece’s dad Ian Nice said that the killers being named is what his son would have wanted, describing it as a “relief” that they have been revealed.

“It would have been hard for Reece that they weren’t named,” Ian explained.

“Now he’s got closure. It was also hard because we couldn’t put anything on social media. We couldn’t put the names out there, but now it’s a relief.

“I know that Reece wanted to carry that on, with them being named. Reece’s last words before he died were the names of the lads.”

Reece Tansey with his dad Ian Nice (Ian Nice/SWNS)

He added: “He wasn’t just my son, he was my best friend, and I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye and hold his hand and say: ‘I love you, son.'”

Ian said Reece had been his “best mate” and that he had last spoken to his son just hours before his death.

He continued: “I brought him into the world. I held him in my hands when he was born, and I cut the cord. And not me being there on his last moments in life, that hurts me.

Reece’s family plan to appeal Nuttall’s sentence, with Ian arguing that the sentences handed to him and White don’t do enough to deter children from carrying knives.

He said: “There has to be a law and tougher sentences for knife crime because there are kids killing kids.

“The government are not doing anything about knife crime.

“He should be getting tougher punishments, tougher sentences and more police on the streets.

“You’re not carrying a knife to cut potatoes and carrots on a street. You’re carrying a knife intentionally to kill someone.”

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