Ashley Day death: Teenager jailed for killing young footballer at house party
A teenager who fatally stabbed a talented young footballer at a house party has been jailed.
Ashley Day, 20, was wounded while hosting a two-night gathering at a flat in Digbeth, Birmingham, on 27 and 28 June last year, to celebrate being accepted on a university course.
Mr Day asked partygoers to leave the property in Bradford Street in the early hours of 29 June after noise complaints.
He was then stabbed three times in the chest and back by Gurveer Bhandal, 19, who had been invited to the party by a mutual friend.
Bhandal fled the scene and dumped the 22cm knife which was found in a nearby construction site, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
He claimed he had acted in self-defence.
Jurors took more than three days of deliberating to convict him of manslaughter - but cleared him of murder.
Bhandal, from Giggety Lane in Wombourne, was jailed for 13 years at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday.
Mr Day, a player at Newport County AFC, excelled at football and was also passionate about music.
He was due to begin a degree at Brunel University in northwest London last autumn.
Speaking out at the time of Bhandal's conviction, Mr Day's family described him as a "loving boy" with a "joyous smile that always lit up the rooms he entered."
"Ashley was happiness," they said.
"His well-mannered, warm aura always made you feel at ease whenever you were around him.
"Ashley was held in high regard by all who met him, and he will be deeply missed by all.
"Farewell, beautiful Ashley, your stars go down to shine upon some further shore and you will be loved forevermore."
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Speaking after the sentence was passed, Detective Chief Inspector Laura Harrison, from the West Midlands Police homicide team, said: "Ashley was a well-liked, bright and popular young man who was very much looking forward to the future.
"He wanted to celebrate achieving his place at university by hosting a party with friends but what should have been a joyous occasion turned to tragedy.
"This has had a devastating effect on Ashley's family but they have conducted themselves with respect and dignity throughout.
"Our thoughts remain with them as they continue to come to terms with their loss."
