Hoolickins' heartache

MISSING Michael every minute of the day . . . Gary and Lesley Hoolickin

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A FORMER Oldham Athletic footballer described the heartache of his son's murder but said justice was done as his killer was jailed for 27 years.

Timothy Deakin (21) was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of stabbing to death Michael Hoolickin after the young dad chastised him for hitting a woman.

Michael's father Gary Hoolickin made 228 appearances for Latics as a central defender between 1975 and 1989.

In a statement with his family, they said: "Michael was much loved by all his family and friends and had his whole life ahead of him. Michael was taken from us in October, last year, in completely unnecessary circumstances. We cannot express how devastated we are that his life has been stolen from him.

"We miss Michael every minute of every day. Today his killer has been sentenced and justice has been served. We can try to repair our heartache although no matter how long the sentence is, it will not bring Michael back or make our loss any easier.

"We need to attempt to move on and hopefully today will now provide closure for our pain over the last six months, however, we will never forget Michael or the many memories he has given us."

Dad-of-one Michael was stabbed five times by Deakin outside the Friendship Inn in Middleton after going for an "ordinary night out" with his friends.

He was fatally injured after trying to politely intervene, having seen Deakin hit his own sister in the face.

A 17-year-old friend of Deakin, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also in the pub with his sister that night, but was asked to leave by the landlord after getting into an argument with Michael's group.

She phoned Deakin, who took a taxi to the Friendship Inn, ordered his sister out of the pub, and was captured hitting her on CCTV.

It was then that Mr Hoolickin told Deakin he shouldn't have hit a woman.

Deakin stabbed Mr Hoolickin in the chest, stomach and back, and also injured one of his friends in the brawl that followed. Michael died in hospital three days later.

The jury at Bolton Crown Court rejected Deakin's claims that he hadn't taken a knife to the pub but found it on the floor, and unanimously found him guilty of murder.

Deakin, of Lever Street, Heywood, was given a minimum of 27 years for murder as well as three years for the wounding offence and 12 months for the assault on his sister, which will be served concurrently.

Around 30 of Mr Hoolickin's friends and family members packed the public gallery and sobbed as the verdict was read out.

In a powerful victim impact statement, Michael's parents said his death had ripped their close-knit family apart.

They said: "Before this happened, everything in our lives was normal. Now we see a different world, and a different life, not knowing if we will find comfort again."

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Clayson said: "It doesn't need me to say that the impact on Mr Hoolickin's family has been enormous."

Jorge Richardson (18), of Harwood Gardens, Heywood, was found not guilty of one charge of assisting an offender, earlier in the trial.

Senior Investigating Officer Bob Tonge, said: "The loss of any loved one is heart breaking but for the victim's family and friends to lose him to an act like this must be unbearable."