Man Apprehended for Stabbing Tyson Fury’s Cousin Convicted for Murder

Ahead of his fight against Francis Ngannou, Tyson Fury has received some good news. The man who was responsible for Tyson Fury’s cousin’s death has been convicted of murder. The world Heavyweight boxing champion’s cousin, Rico Burton, 31 was stabbed by a man showing erratic behavior in the early hours of August 21, 2022. The case went into hearing earlier this month and now it seems like justice has been served.

The accused, Liam O’Pray, 22, appeared in the courts, appealed not guilty and instead owned up to attempted wounding. The trial went ahead in the Manchester Crown court in front of a jury that comprised seven women and five men. The jury reached a consensus and gave a verdict earlier today.

‘Murdered’ says the Jury, Family of Tyson Fury sees the light of Justice

After a three-week trial and a complete three and a half hours of deliberations, the jury convicted Liam O’Pray guilty of the murder of Rico Burton. He was also found guilty of wounding with intent by slashing and stabbing Harvey Reilly, then 17. Harvey too was a victim of the violence caused by Liam during the incident in August last year.

Witnesses of the incident have said that the accused displayed unusual behavior in the early hours of 21st August. He was denied entry into one of the bars in that area. He had threatened the guard that he would come back soon and cause him an issue. Another bar in the vicinity denied him entry too claiming that the man was erratic. Then, Burton’s cousin punched O’Pray’s friend. This further led to an altercation between the two parties.

After Burton threw a punch at O’Pray, the latter stuck the fatal blow with the knife to the left side of Rico Burton’s neck. Harvey went at the defendant who was at this point waving his knife in the air. He then struck Harvey twice: once in the arm and once in the abdomen. However, no one from the Fury family including Tyson and Tommy Fury has made a statement regarding the verdict so far.

‘The Gypsy King’ appealed for his cousin’s murder

Last year, when Rico Burton was murdered in Altrincham, Cheshire, Tyson Fury put out a message on his social media. He condemned the loss of his cousin and said, “RIP Rico Burton”, who was “stabbed in the neck” overnight. Comparing knife crimes to a pandemic, he added, “You don’t know how bad it is until it’s one of your own”. At the moment, knife crimes had surged by almost 50 percent when compared to March 2012.

In the passionately emotional plea, Fury wrote, “This is becoming ridiculous – idiots carry knives. This needs to stop.” He further asked the government to make laws against knife crimes stricter to avoid any such crimes in the future. He ended his statement by paying a tribute to his cousin. ‘The Gypsy King’ said, “RIP Rico Burton – may the lord God grant you a good place in heaven, see you soon”

The verdict that came today might give some closure to Tyson’s family. They have been coping with the grief for almost a year now. Meanwhile, he has begun preparing for his big fight against ex-UFC fighter, Francis Ngannou. The two will enter the ring under championship rules for ten rounds on October 28th.

Also Read: As One-Sided Clause Forces Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis Announcement, Tyson Fury’s Surprising Request for UFC Heavyweight Disclosed Ahead of Francis Ngannou Fight

Who do you think will take hope in the name of victory? Let us know in the comments section below.

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