A 22-year-old man who killed a 16-year-old boy after stabbing him outside a takeaway in Bolton has today been convicted of murder at Manchester Crown Court.

Mahmud Maksoudian, aged 22, of Madams Wood Road, Little Hulton has also been convicted of section 18 assault after seriously injuring another 16-year-old boy, Curtis McAtee in the incident.

Maksoudian has today been sentenced to life in prison to serve a minimum of 19 years.

At about 10.30pm on Friday August 17, 2007, Maksoudian was standing outside Ashys Takeaway on Plodder Lane, Farnworth, waiting for his food.

At the time Andrew Holland of Trentham Gardens was walking along Plodder Lane with Curtis and three other friends when he saw Maksoudian and walked over to him.

Maksoudian became angry and pushed him away and Andrew moved back while calling over two of his friends. There was an altercation between the group during which Maksoudian pulled a knife out of his trouser pocket but dropped it on the floor.

Curtis tried to push the defendant away but Maksoudian pushed him back and bent down and picked up the knife. He then grabbed Curtis and stabbed him in the left side of his abdomen before lashing out at Andrew and stabbing him in the neck.

The three boys ran away from Maksoudian but Andrew and Curtis collapsed a short distance away.

Maksoudian walked back into the takeaway, got a tissue for a cut to his finger and asked if his food could be delivered. He was still outside the takeaway when police arrived and was arrested.

Andrew and Curtis were taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital but Andrew's condition deteriorated and he died around midnight.

A post mortem examination revealed that he died as the result of a single stab wound.

Curtis, who had been stabbed in the abdomen made a good recovery and was released from hospital a week later. He was told it would take about five months before he would be back to full health.

Chief Inspector Peter Giles who led the investigation said: "This is a tragic case which highlights just how dangerous knives can be. We could have easily been dealing with two dead boys as a result of this attack and Maksoudian clearly had no regard for the consequences of his actions.

"We believe that Andrew went over to Maksoudian believing he was someone else but instead of just acknowledging his mistake, Maksoudian completely over reacted and lashed out. His actions resulted in the death of one boy and the near death of another.

"Our thoughts now of course lie with Andrew's family and I only hope that seeing the dangerous man who took away their son behind bars helps them begin to try and move on from this horrendous incident."

Andrew's mother, Joan Holland, said: "I feel as though I haven't got a future without Andrew and I fee as though I don't want to be here anymore. I won't be able to grow old with him beside me and there will be no 18th or 21st birthday to celebrate with him. I will never see him get married or settle down and have children. I just feel as though a huge part of me has been ripped away."

Curtis McAtee, who was in hospital for seven days after the attack and was on a ventilator in intensive care for part of that time, said: "To this day I have never walked along Plodder Lane or even been to Andy's Tree'. I don't like to go near large groups of people who I don't know and this even includes going into town. I've been scarred mentally as well as physically and I'll never feel the same as I used to because of the attack and because Andy's not here anymore."