Two men have been given concurrent life sentences for the murder of Tobias Bruce in Littlemore. 

Ryan Byrne, 35, of Hathaway Green Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon, and George Stephens, aged 28, of no fixed abode, were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on October 24. 

Bryne was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years and 162 days before parole. For causing grievous bodily harm, he was jailed for six years to run concurrently. 

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Stephens was jailed for a minimum of 22-and-a-half-years before parole.

For count two he was jailed for seven-and-a-half-years and a total of eight years for possessing cannabis and cocaine earlier this year. These will run concurrently. 

The men were both found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of one count each of murder and section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent on October 16. 

Both men remained calm and said their goodbyes to their families watching on in the public gallery of the courtroom after the verdicts were read out. 

They were charged after the death of Mr Bruce, 32, who was stabbed five times in Littlemore on February 25 this year.

His friend, Brandon Day, was also wounded during the incident.

Passing sentence, judge Ian Pringle KC said: "I have read the victim impact statements which say the terrible loss the family of Tobias Bruce feel.

"Despite the best efforts of paramedics at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Mr Bruce was pronounced dead. He was just 32." 

The 32-year-old father died from five stab wounds after attempting to steal a Cartier watch from the men in College Lane, Littlemore, at about 6.05pm on Sunday, February 25.

Police at the scene after the murder Police at the scene after the murder (Image: Newsquest) He was pronounced dead at the John Radcliffe Hospital on February 28.

Both men were also charged with a Section 18 – wounding with intent of Brandon Day, who was taken to hospital alongside Mr Bruce. The jury found them both guilty.

During the trial, it was heard that two groups of men had a pre-arranged meeting on the evening of the incident involving the sale of a Cartier watch.

Mr Bruce, who attended the meeting with Mr Day and another man named Iain Milligan, was interested in purchasing the watch from Theodore Mullings-Fairweather, who attended with Byrne and Stephens.

(Image: Family handout) The men met and Mullings-Fairweather handed the watch to Mr Bruce to inspect and the card indicating its authenticity was handed to Mr Day.

Prosecutor John Benson KC previously explained that the meeting ‘was cordial to begin with’ but Mr Bruce had ran off with the watch with Day and Mulligan running with him.

Mr Bruce ran towards Cowley Road, pursued by Byrne and Mullings-Fairweather.

Mr Day and Mr Mulligan ran towards Giles Close pursued by Stephens.

It is here that Byrne pursued Mr Bruce alongside Mullings-Fairweather and Stephens went after Mr Day.

A police officer at the scene after the death A police officer at the scene after the death (Image: Newsquest) The court previously heard Mullings-Fairweather travelled to Dubai after the incident so is not on trial. He sent an email to a solicitor in April 'protesting his innocence'. 

Mr Benson KC concluded during the trial opening: “You can be in no doubt that Bruce was intent on stealing the watch and theft of a watch is a serious matter.

“But theft is not the most serious of offences in the criminal calendar – the offence of murder is.”

The watch was never recovered.

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