THREE teenagers were today (Friday) sentenced after they attacked a Hayes man who confronted them over their anti-social behaviour with an axe and a knife.

Paul Thrower, 46, suffered multiple wounds after the group set upon him as he pursued them for verbally abusing his girlfriend.

Kiro Halliburton, 18, of Tollgate Drive, Hayes, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 16 years.

Zakariya Subeir, 18, of Rockingham Road, Uxbridge was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years. He will spend eight years in prison and the remainder on licence.

Mahdi Osman, 18, of Hoskins Close, Hayes, was also found guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in a Young Offenders' Institution.

A 17-year-old male from the Hayes area was found not guilty of murder.

Det Insp Simon Deefholts said: "Mr Thrower was undoubtedly angry that day and rushed to confront the youths who had verbally abused his partner.

"Two took refuge behind a door but it took some time for Mr Thrower to reach them and they could easily have made their escape across the open roof area behind them.

"Instead, they were handed at least one potentially lethal weapon by their friend on the ground and barricaded a door, waiting until Mr Thrower burst through.

“CCTV shows them apparently calm and preparing for the attack.

"They immediately attacked him, causing devastating injuries.

“Any claim they were acting in self-defence was born out by the weight of evidence against them. "

The court heard that Mr Thrower's girlfriend was returning from nearby shops to their ground floor flat in St Dunstan’s Close, Hayes, when she was verbally abused by a group of youths.

She told them to leave but was spat at and had drink thrown at her.

She returned home and told her partner what had happened. Furious, Mr Thrower ran out of the flat after them.

Following the attack, Halliburton and Subeir fled.

Mr Thrower staggered to the top of the stairs where he collapsed. London's Air Ambulance attended but he died in hospital that night.