Corby boy jailed for minimum of 15 years for murder

A teen who murdered Corby 16-year-old Rayon Pennycook has been jailed for a minimum term of 15 years.

Stefan Draca, who was found guilty of murdering Rayon following a trial in December, was today sentenced at Northampton Crown Court by His Honour Judge David Herbert.

He can be named today after he turned 18 and a court order preventing publication of his identity lapsed.

Families of both Draca and Rayon were in court for this afternoon's (Friday, January 14) sentencing hearing.

It was explained that because he was a youth when the crime was committed, he must be detained at her majesty's pleasure. But he was given a minimum term of 15 years before he can apply for parole. Because he has already served some months in prison, he will serve a further 14 years and 134 days.

Judge Herbert heard touching tributes from Rayon’s family who said their lives had been ‘changed forever’ on May 25 last year when their boy was stabbed in the street during a knife fight.

In a victim impact statement, his mum Sharon Pennycook said she wakes up every morning and realises that what has happened was not a dream and her 'beautiful son is gone.'

"I'll never see him start his first job, learn to drive, get married, and start his own family," she said.

The court heard that the day after he was stabbed, Rayon had been due to start a construction apprenticeship. His father said that they had planned to start driving lessons on November 4, on what would have been his son's 17th birthday - the day the trial began.

His girlfriend of three years also talked of how Rayon had made her feel 'secure, protected and loved' from the time they met in year eight at Corby Technical School.

The court had previously heard how Draca had taken a knife to the scene and had fatally stabbed Rayon in the shoulder.

Although he managed to get back into a house in Reynolds Road, and despite the valiant attempts of his friends, police officers and Paramedics to save his life, Rayon later died.

Draca handed himself in later that night after his dad drove him to the police station.

You can read more about how Draca became a killer here.