Teen jailed for life for murdering father-of-three in Harlow
Max Richardson's family say their lives have been 'destroyed forever' by his killing in August 2023
A teenager who murdered a father of three in Harlow has been sentenced to life in prison.
Max Richardson was stabbed to death on 21 August 2023 after approaching Tieran Carmody, who was making children feel uncomfortable as he loitered near a play park on Joyner's Field.
Essex Police have described the 35-year-old's murder as 'entirely senseless'.
Carmody, 19, will have to serve a minimum of 26 years before being considered for parole.
Richardson pushed over and stabbed
Mr Richardson was pushed over a large branch after going to speak to the 19-year-old.
Carmody then drew a long bladed weapon from his bike and stabbed the 35-year-old, who had his hands in the air in a "surrendering motion", once in the stomach.
Paramedics provided immediate care to Mr Richardson, who died on the way to hospital.
A manhunt was launched for Carmody, who was captured on CCTV in a shop in Pitsea, and a pub in Benfleet, in the days after the murder.
Another man, Harrison Barnett, provided shelter to Carmody, allowing him to speak with friends and family on his mobile phone, and searching Essex Police's appeal online.
Barnett, 19, of St Mary's Crescent, Basildon, was convicted of perverting the course of justice and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
This includes a three-month sentence for breaching a suspended prison sentence.
'You have destroyed our lives forever'
Victim impact statements were read out at Southwark Crown Court on behalf of Max Richardson's mum and partner.
His mum Carol thanked the police, prosecutors and jurors for their hard work, and said what she heard in court is "replaying and haunting" her on every day.
"Having to say goodbye to someone you love, my son, breaks my heart into small pieces.
"We all miss you and love you so much, rest in peace with Nan now Max."
Mr Richardson's partner Sarah, writing on behalf of herself and their three children, said no one would understand the impact of seeing him murdered right in front of them.
"Max was not only a partner and a father, but he was also a son and a brother and again no-one can ever know how that feels to lose a son or a brother in these tragic circumstances.
"Mine and my children’s lives have been torn apart and our lives will never be the same again after losing Max."
Addressing Carmody, she said he had taken someone "that can never be replaced."
"You have put us through so much trauma and heartache, you have destroyed our lives forever and we now somehow have to carry on with our lives without Max.
"You have created an empty space in our lives, and I hope that you now feel the pain that we are all feeling and realise just how much you have damaged our lives for good especially the lives of our three innocent children.
"I am still very much in denial of this catastrophic crime you have committed.
"The shock and the numbness you have caused us, the fear and the anxiety of going about our daily routines is relentless.
"No-one will ever truly understand the pain and suffering me and my children are feeling right now. Our lives will never be the same again.
"You have not only taken Max from us but you have destroyed us and our future."
Richardson 'wounded in a brutal and entirely senseless act of violence'
Detective Chief Inspector Ashley Howard, from Essex Police's Serious Crime Directorate, said Carmody's murder left Max Richardson's "loving family utterly devastated."
"In a matter of seconds, Max Richardson was mortally wounded in a brutal and entirely senseless act of violence.
"He wanted to ensure his children felt safe in the public space near their home, he wanted to tell Tieran Carmody to stop scaring them.
"Carmody responded with needless ferocity, using a large knife to swiftly and deliberately end Max’s life."
DCI Howard added that there is "never a good reason to carry a knife in public."
"We know the majority of knife crime in Essex is perpetrated by young men and boys.
"It is vital we keep working to take these horrendous weapons off our streets and engage with our partners to address and understand why young people choose to carry these knives."