Published at 13:44, Tuesday, 09 March 2010

THE identity of a 17-year-old youth convicted of killing a former Ulverston resident has been revealed.

A judge lifted a ban on naming William Upton, who killed 24-year-old Adam Rogers by throwing a single punch in Blackburn town centre.

Upton, of Ulverston Drive, Rishton was found guilty of the manslaughter of Adam Rogers, who died last July after suffering a head injury. Mr Rogers had close friends at Cascades Health and Fitness Club, part of the Whitewater Hotel, in Backbarrow.

He had worked there since September, 2008 and lived in Springfield Road, Ulverston, until last year, when he moved back to his home in Blackburn. Upton was due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court yesterday, but the judge adjourned the case.

Judge Stuart Baker said he knew the adjournment would cause pain to a great many people, but he could not avoid adjourning the case. The defence sought an adjournment for a youth offending team worker who made a background report on Upton to attend court.

Preston Crown Court heard at Upton’s trial in January that Mr Rogers had been acting as a peacemaker when he was felled by a punch from Upton. The defendant claimed at his trial that he had been acting in self-defence.

The court heard Upton had attended the academy of Blackburn Rovers and Burnley football clubs and suffered a very badly broken arm.

He represented his school and Lancashire at football.

Yesterday, his defence barrister, Mr Mark Stuart, applied for an adjournment.

He told the court that a youth offending team worker had concluded in a pre-sentence report that Upton was a high risk of re-offending.

The same officer had apparently earlier indicated at the end of the trial that he considered Upton a low risk.

Mr Stuart told the court: “It is of great concern to the defendant that the officer seems to have changed his opinion considerably during the last four or five weeks.

“What concerns the defendant and myself is why he would change his opinion in the course of that time.
“With a great deal of reluctance, unless that particular matter can be resolved, I would feel unhappy to mitigate on his behalf”.

Two other young men who admitted assaults connected to the overall incident that night were yesterday sentenced.

Former soldier Antonio Clough, 19, of Bridge Street, Rishton, who head-butted another male, was given twelve months’ detention.

Jonathon Seal, 20, of Cliff Street, Rishton, who admitted assaulting a different male, was given six months suspended for two years, and must do 200 hours of unpaid work.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk