Revelers looked on in horror as a knife was plunged into the throat of Rico Barton, 31, in a “bloodbath” at 3am in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. 4 Boxing champion Tyson Fury spoke of his anguish yesterday after his cousin was stabbed to death outside a barCredit: Rex 4 Revelers looked on in horror as a knife was plunged into the throat of Rico Burton, 31, in a ‘bloodbath’ at 3am in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. 4 Tyson, 34, called for tougher sentences for ‘knife-carrying idiots’ Tyson, 34, called for tougher sentences for “knife-carrying idiots”. He said: “Life is so precious and it can be taken away so quickly, enjoy every moment. RIP Rico, may the Lord God grant you a good place in heaven.” Former young boxing star Rico was watching the Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk fight with friends in a pub before going to another several miles away in Altrincham. He is believed to have queued up inside, before going outside to ‘straighten out’. But after a punch, Rico’s attacker is believed to have pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the neck. One witness said: “It was a bloodbath. Others were trying to save his life, giving him first aid, but he was bleeding so much. No one could have saved him.” In an emotional post on Instagram, The Gypsy King Tyson said: “My cousin was murdered last night, stabbed in the neck. This is being done by ridiculous knife-wielding idiots. This needs to stop as soon as possible. “The government needs to impose higher sentences for knife crime. “It’s a pandemic and you don’t know how bad it is until you have one!” A 17-year-old man, believed to be a relative of Rico, was also injured in the attack and taken to hospital. Police arrested a 21-year-old man at the scene and later arrested another man, aged 20. Both were in custody last night and a murder investigation has been launched. Supt Ben Ewart, of Greater Manchester Police, said the stabbing was a “senseless act” which officers believe was “unplanned”. He said Rico should “enjoy going out with friends” and that it was a “tragic ending”. Jim Flanagan, 75, said he saw Rico watching the heavyweight fight in a nearby pub and had hugged and bought him a pint hours before he was killed. She said: “He was so full of life. To hear that he is gone is heartbreaking. “He was such a good guy, my thoughts are with all his family and our condolences go out to everyone. He was one of the good ones.” Tributes have poured in for Rico, including from his and Tyson’s former boxing trainer Steve Egan, 60. He said: “I taught Rico, he was a great boy. I’m devastated. It makes me want to cry, he was a fantastic guy. It was a big laugh, there wasn’t a bad bone in him.” Rico’s death comes amid a spate of knife and gun violence across the UK. At least 11 people have been stabbed in England and Wales since last Monday. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said last night: “Knife crime destroys lives and destroys families. “This is yet another horrific murder on Britain’s streets. “This is becoming a national crisis and we need urgent action from ministers before more lives are lost.” Former Tory MP and anti-knife campaigner Nick De Bois added: “The new Prime Minister needs to get a handle on this to make our roads safer and stop this senseless waste of life.” Additional references: RICHARD MORIARTY & AMIR RAZAVI 4 Police arrested a 21-year-old man at the scene and later arrested another man, aged 20Credit: ASP
