JORDAN BURTON JAILED FOR LIFE AFTER DANIEL ALLRIGHT DIES 15 YEARS AFTER TEEN ATTACK

A man who attacked a teenage boy with a bike chain and a wooden board has been jailed for life for his murder — 15 years after the victim died from epilepsy linked to the injuries he suffered in the attack.

Jordan Burton, now 34, was sentenced at the Old Bailey after being convicted of murdering Daniel Allright.

Burton was 14 when he took part in the violent attack on Daniel in Lewisham, southeast London, in 2006.

Daniel was just 16 at the time.

He survived the initial assault but suffered severe brain injuries and later developed post-traumatic epilepsy. His condition deteriorated over the years, with seizures becoming increasingly frequent and severe.

Daniel eventually died at his home in March 2022, aged 31, after suffering a fatal seizure while in the bath.

A post-mortem examination found no evidence that he had drowned and no natural disease was identified as the cause of his death. Instead, post-traumatic epilepsy was determined to have caused the fatal seizure.

ATTACK LEFT DANIEL WITH LIFE-CHANGING INJURIES

Daniel was with two friends in Lewisham when the group of teenagers approached them.

The court heard that one of the youths, later identified as Burton, asked Daniel if he wanted to fight.

He was then handed a piece of wood, which he used to strike Daniel several times.

Two other youths joined the attack, using weapons as Daniel attempted to defend himself.

The assault only ended when someone came out of a nearby shop, causing the attackers to flee.

Daniel was taken to hospital and required brain surgery.

He was left with serious brain injuries, including epilepsy that doctors later linked to the head trauma sustained during the attack.

His first epileptic seizure occurred approximately a year after the assault.

Over the following 15 years, Daniel suffered thousands of seizures.

His family watched as his condition progressively deteriorated and his everyday life became dominated by the effects of the brain injury.

BURTON HAD PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED THE ASSAULT

Burton pleaded guilty in 2008 to violent disorder and unlawful wounding in connection with the attack.

However, after Daniel’s death, Burton was charged with murder.

During his murder trial, Burton denied responsibility for Daniel’s death.

He told jurors that he had been pressured into admitting the assault when he was 16.

The prosecution case ultimately established the connection between the 2006 attack, Daniel’s subsequent epilepsy and his death 15 years later.

Burton was convicted of murder following the trial.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey, with a minimum term of 10 years.

DEFENCE DESCRIBES BURTON’S EARLY LIFE

During sentencing, Burton’s defence lawyer Nick Corsellis told the court about his client’s childhood and early involvement in sport.

The court heard that Burton had been selected by Crystal Palace at the age of seven as a potential athlete.

His defence said the club had provided a positive environment for him.

However, Burton was released from the club at 13 after suffering an injury.

His barrister argued that this left him with considerably more free time during his teenage years.

The circumstances were presented to the court as part of the defence’s mitigation during sentencing.

DANIEL’S MOTHER: “I WILL NEVER GET OVER LOSING MY SON”

Daniel’s mother, Geraldine Henderson, delivered an emotional tribute following the conviction.

She described her son as having a “heart of gold” and a positive attitude towards life.

But she also spoke about the devastating impact of his epilepsy.

For 16 years following the attack, she watched her son experience thousands of seizures.

She said Daniel had been forced to survive from one day to the next as his condition became increasingly difficult.

“I will never get over losing my son,” she said in her tribute.

Daniel’s sister, Victoria Henderson, also described the devastating effect his illness had on their family.

She said they watched their younger brother fight to live for years, while his life gradually became dominated by his medical condition.

She described watching him deteriorate over more than 15 years as something that “broke our family.”

A CASE THAT TOOK 15 YEARS TO REACH A MURDER CONVICTION

Daniel’s death in 2022 reopened questions about the attack he had survived as a teenager.

The case ultimately centred on whether the injuries inflicted during the 2006 assault caused the condition that led to his death.

The court heard that Daniel’s post-traumatic epilepsy developed after the attack and progressively worsened.

The post-mortem examination ruled out drowning and natural disease as explanations for his death, with the epilepsy resulting from his earlier brain injury identified as the cause.

Burton’s conviction therefore came 15 years after Daniel died and two decades after the original attack.

The sentence means Burton, now 34, must serve at least 10 years in prison before he can be considered for release on licence.

Daniel’s family have been left to remember a young man whose life changed permanently after an attack when he was only 16.

For them, the conviction closes a long legal chapter — but cannot undo the years of suffering Daniel endured or the loss of their son and brother.