A teenager has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering a man in Atherton last year, it has been confirmed.
The 17-year-old – who can now been named as Jordan Rance, following reporting restrictions against him due to his age, having been lifted by a judge – appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 8 May), where he was sentenced to a minimum term of 21 years after being found guilty of murdering Paul Marsh last year.
The sentencing comes after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called reports of a man being unconscious at a property on Samuel Street in the Greater Manchester town of Atherton at around 6:08pm on the evening of 17 November 2023.
Police attended the scene to find that a 49-year-old man had sustained an injury described as being “serious”.
Despite the best efforts of all emergency services who attended the scene, Mr Marsh tragically passed away a short time later.
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#JAILED | A 17-year-old boy has been jailed for a minimum term of 21 years at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Jordan Rance was found guilty of murder. At court, reporting restrictions against Rance due to his age were lifted.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 9, 2024
GMP’s Major Incident Team subsequently launched a murder investigation launched a murder investigation following the incident – which concluded with Rance, who was 16-years-old at the time, being charged with murder.
Following Rance’s sentencing yesterday, GMP has now released further details of the incident.
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The police service explained that the victim and Rance had been at the address in Atherton together, along with others, when an argument commenced between the pair that eventually escalated and Rance was witnessed to “lunge towards the victim with a knife” and stabbed him in the shoulder.
Rance and his friend immediately ran from the scene, GMP revealed, while others at the address called for an ambulance and attempted first aid.
During the sentencing yesterday, the court was shown an image of Rance holding a knife that he had taken on his phone, and this image has now also been released by GMP to the public.
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Paul Marsh, alongside the image shown to the court of Rance holding a knife, as released by GMP / Credit: GMP
Speaking following Rance’s sentencing yesterday, Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, branded this a “tragic case”.
He continued: “A seemingly innocuous exchange has escalated and resulted in a loss of life, and our thoughts remain with Paul’s family at this time.
“We also have a young person going to prison for a long time, so this case should serve as a stark reminder that carrying a knife is illegal and you could be jailed if you’re found to be in possession of one.
“No good can come from carrying a knife and self-protection is not a reasonable excuse.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Manchester City fans criticised for ‘absolutely vile’ amounts of litter after Premier League title win
Danny Jones
Swathes of Manchester City fans have been criticised after obscene amounts of litter were left scattered across Cutting Room Square in Ancoats.
The unfortunate scenes were captured after Man City lifted their fourth consecutive Premier Leagueon Sunday, 19 May, securing the record-breaking title on the final day.
Since the popular city centre square is one of those closest to the Etihad Stadium, City fans obviously partied hard following the impressive achievement but disappointingly left large piles of litter behind them.
Filming the state of the area after City supporters began to clear out, one TikTok user said, “The amount of rubbish left in Ancoats by football fans is absolutely vile”.
As you can see, the floor and countless outdoor benches were covered in empty cans and bottles as the camera pans to show bins overflowing.
While you can only see a few City shirts left in the background, similar complaints have been made in previous years and there were also reports of the nearby Cotton Field Park in neighbouring New Islington being forced to close early after being ‘overwhelmed’ by fans and litter.
Although there are plenty of comments arguing that the “council should put more bins out. Simple” and that “this only happens one day a year”, just as many have condemned the behaviour as “feral”, “horrendous” and “so depressing to see”.
Others brushed it off by simply quipping, “Make Ancoats rough again”, “That’s how [it] looked 10-15 years ago anyway” and “This is actually from Barry Manilow. There’s no way City would get this many people out”.
Supporters were also criticised for invading the pitch after full-time – and trying to before the whistle had even been blown, in fact.
With a domestic double-winning title parade still set to take place next month, the chance of similar scenes of rubbish as thousands of City fans descend on the city centre is very likely.
The Blues take on Man United in another consecutive Manchester derby FA Cup final and just the second in the competition’s history.
Here’s hoping the levels of litter in and around Wembley will be less shocking.
Council allocates an extra £6m funding to supporting Manchester’s ‘most vulnerable’
Emily Sergeant
An extra £6 million in funding has been allocated to supporting some of the ‘most vulnerable’ residents and families across Manchester.
Since the cost of living crisis first emerged and began to make an impact, with the effects continuing to be felt by millions nationwide – including here in Greater Manchester – to this day, Manchester City Council says “a huge amount of resource has been dedicated to “mitigating some of its worst impacts” within the city-region.
But now, the local authority is set to take its support one step further.
Through the latest round of the Government-funded Household Support Fund (HSF), an additional £6 million has been allocated by the Council so it can continue to “provide aid for those most at risk”.
We are spending an extra £6m to support our city's most vulnerable residents and families.
This includes free school meals for 44,000 families via a £15 weekly payment in summer half-term and £55 in the summer holiday.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 17, 2024
£3 million of the funding will go towards the continuation of free school meals for families in Manchester – which currently covers an estimated 44,000 children via a £15 weekly payment during the summer half term, and a £55 payment during the summer holiday.
On top of this, around £100,000 has been allocated for the ‘Holiday Activity Fund’, which provides free activities and days out for children during the summer.
Direct financial support for at-risk groups, including households in receipt of Council Tax Support and care leavers, has also been allocated, and finally, additional funding will also be directed to third party agencies that offer support and advice on a range of issues, as well as the Council’s ‘Food Response’ scheme delivered in partnership with over 40 food organisations.
Manchester City Council has allocated an extra £6m funding to supporting Manchester’s ‘most vulnerable’ residents / Credit: Manchester City Council
“The ongoing cost of living crisis has been an incredibly difficult experience for thousands of people living in Manchester,” commented Councillor Joanna Midgley, who is the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council.
“It has deepened already existing inequalities, which is why as an organisation we are committed to doing everything in our power to prevent people from slipping into poverty, and alleviating its worst effects for people living on its edge.”
Cllr Midgley is also urging anyone who finds themselves struggling to contact the Council “as soon as” they can.
Emily Sergeant -
9th May 2024 
