Connor Brown's family devastated after Court of Appeal refuses to extend killer Ally Gordon's jail sentence

Ally Gordon was found guilty of manslaughter after the 18-year-old Farringdon lad was brutally murdered in Sunderland city centre in February 2019.

The Court of Appeal have upheld the sentencing meaning the 20-year-old killer’s three-and-a-half year sentence will remain the same.

Connor’s parents say they are devastated by the judgement and say the sentencing is sending out the wrong message in the fight against knife crime.

Simon and Tanya Brown told the Echo: “As you can imagine we as a family are devastated by the news today and feel like once again our justice system has let us down by upholding the sentence given.

“They keep saying they want to do something about the problem of knife crime but what chance have the police got after all their hard work, the law courts let them and us down.

“Sentencing like this is sending out the wrong message and is no deterrent to anyone who carries a knife.”

Simon and Tanya also thanked the people of Sunderland for all the support they have received.

Gordon, of Polmuir Road, was convicted of manslaughter and for possessing a bladed weapon and sentenced by Mr Justice Lavender in December 2019 at Newcastle Crown Court.

His three-and-a-half year sentence was reviewed at London’s Court of Appeal last month following a referral by the Solicitor General that the punishment was ‘potentially unduly lenient’.

However it has been upheld by the Court of Appeal.

The judgement - made by Lady Justice Thirlwall DBE, Mr Justice Spencer and Sir David Foskett – said: “We are not satisfied that this sentence was unduly lenient. We refused leave. The application is dismissed.”

Among the mitigating factors the court took into consideration were Gordon’s age and his previous good character.

At the original sentencing in December 2019, there were gasps from the public gallery as the judge announced Gordon’s sentence just minutes after he sentenced co-accused Leighton Barrass to life in prison – serving a minimum of 20 years – after he was found guilty of murder.

Connor, a GP receptionist, was stabbed five times by Barrass in a back alley near Park Lane in the early hours of Sunday, February 24.

During the trial, jurors heard that Barrass stabbed the ‘wonderful’ teenager after getting into a row with Connor’s friend over £5.

Connor had bravely stepped forward to defend others in the alley when the, then 20-year-old, Barrass returned waving a knife and threatening to ‘stab any one of yous’.

The court heard that Gordon, who was originally charged with murder, was Barrass's ‘faithful sidekick’ and kicked Connor while he was on the ground during the fatal attack.

Earlier this year, the Echo reported that messages sent from Gordon’s Facebook profile boasted he will be out by November.

The Facebook account has now been deleted and the prison service has confirmed ‘those responsible will be punished’ and could face up to two additional years behind bars.