Man guilty of horrific murder of Skelmersdale teenager Dylan Bragger

A man who knifed a teenager more than 23 times has been found guilty of his murder. Felipe Diglio Figueiredo, 28, of Birleywood, Skelmersdale, will be sentenced later this week.

A Preston Crown Court trial heard that Lancashire Police officers were called to Digmoor Road in Skelmersdale just after 9pm on June 29 last year following reports of a stabbing. Emergency services arrived on scene and found 15-year-old Dylan Bragger had suffered multiple stab wounds.

Sadly, despite their best efforts, Dylan was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Detectives launched a murder inquiry which revealed the movements of Figueiredo, who witnesses say confronted Dylan and another man over a dispute involving a stolen motorbike. CCTV caught Figueiredo as he left his home on the evening of the murder, after receiving a text message stating that the motorbike stolen from his property the previous evening had been sighted on the Birleywood estate.

Dylan was subjected to a brutal attack and he sustained a minimum of 23 sharp force injuries to the head, neck, chest, back, abdomen and arms, a pathologist told the jury.

Figueiredo returned home just over half an hour later and called police at 9.30pm to hand himself in, before armed officers arrived to arrest him. He would later say he stabbed Dylan “a few times” in self-defence.

The jury this week rejected that claim, after hearing the volume and extent of Dylan’s injuries as well as being shown evidence that was inconsistent with Figueiredo’s recollection of the attack.

Det Chief Insp Andy Fallows, of the force major investigation team, said: “This is an utterly tragic case in which a 15-year-old boy with his whole life ahead of him has had that abruptly snatched away. My thoughts are with Dylan’s family and friends at what must be an extremely difficult time. I know this is a heartbreaking tale of events that has also rocked the local community and though clearly nothing can bring Dylan back, I’m pleased that the guilty verdict will bring the family some much-needed closure.

“Knife crime has no place in Lancashire and we will do all we can to spread the message that one decision to carry a knife, like in the case of Felipe Figueiredo, can not only take a life in the most ruthless of ways, but it can also destroy your own”.

After the hearing Katie Lord, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “In an act of rage Felipe Figueiredo subjected a teenage boy to a sustained knife attack causing catastrophic injuries. He claimed he was acting in self-defence, but we worked with the police to build a strong case against him which we presented to the jury. Today they have agreed with the prosecution case and found him unanimously guilty of murdering Dylan Bragger.

"This case serves as a stark reminder to anyone who thinks they can take the law into their own hands and use knives with impunity. One young man has lost his life, and another will lose his liberty. Though the success of this prosecution will not bring Dylan back, we would like to extend our condolences to his family and friends and all those who been affected by his death at this difficult time.”

Felipe Figueiredo will be sentenced on Friday January 26.