A man has been found guilty of murdering the cousin of world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury with a single blow from a knife in a brawl outside a bar. Liam O’Pray, 22, used a lock knife to stab Rico Burton, 31, in the neck with the seven-inch blade cutting open his carotid artery.

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O’Pray, of Swinton, Salford, was found guilty of murder by a jury of seven women and five men after three and a half hours of deliberations at the end of a three-week trial.

Mr Burton’s relatives, who packed the public gallery, shouted “yes” as the guilty verdict was delivered while O’Pray made no reaction.

He was also found guilty of wounding with intent by slashing and stabbing Harvey Reilly, 17 at the time and now 18, during the brawl in the early hours of August 22 last year.

Jurors at Manchester Crown Court heard the trouble began after a fight between the defendant’s friends and Mr Burton’s family and pals at Goose Green, a courtyard of bars in Altrincham, Cheshire.

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O’Pray had been refused entry to a bar and it was claimed he told a doorman he was a professional boxer and would be back to “cause him an issue”.

Door staff and witnesses described the defendant as a “loose cannon” and “very erratic”.

A witness told the court “absolute chaos” broke out just after 3am as O’Pray’s friend, Malachi Hewitt-Brown, was punched by Mr Burton’s cousin, Chasiah Burton.

Mr Burton also then aimed a punch at Mr Hewitt-Brown. A second later, O’Pray struck the fatal blow with the knife to the left side of Rico Burton’s neck, the court heard.

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The prosecution suggested during the trial that O’Pray was “pretty much always carrying a knife.”

But O’Pray told the jury a month or so before the fatal incident he was left covered from “head to toe” in blood, kicked and stabbed in the hand in a fight after his £500 hat had been taken from him.

The defendant said he bought the lock-knife because he was “worried” after the July incident and to “defend” himself as being beaten up had played upon his mind.

He also said he had used the knife as a tool in his job as a groundworker. O’Pray admitted possession of a knife in a public place and possession of cocaine.

Judge Alan Conrad KC said he will pass sentence on August 4, though the defendant faces a mandatory life sentence for murder.

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