A teenager who was just 16 when he stabbed another teen to death at a party is today beginning a 12-year prison sentence.

Kellan Lewis was convicted of killing 18-year-old Kellon Hill after a Supreme Court trial earlier this year.

Reacting to the sentence meted out by the Chief Justice yesterday, the victim's father Daniel Hill said: "There are no winners. Everybody knows I do not take joy in the sufferings of others. I don't care if he gets ten years, 20 years or three years. It's not going to bring my son back."

Meanwhile the family of Lewis, who is now 18, left court in tears. Mr. Hill was attacked by a group of youths, led by Lewis, as he left a party at Elbow Beach on August 9, 2008.

During the attack, which prosecutors say was "gang-type" in nature, the victim was stabbed three times on the left side of his chest. He died from a stab wound to the heart inflicted by Lewis with a knife. The violence took place at a farewell party for a 14-year-old girl attended by up to 100 teenagers. Mr. Hill was just days away from heading to the US to start college. The incident unfolded after Lewis snatched an expensive gold chain from around his neck, and Mr. Hill tried to retrieve it. After stabbing the victim, Lewis kicked him as he lay on the ground injured.

Jailing Lewis yesterday, Chief Justice Richard Ground said he took into account his young age at the time, and the fact that he's expressed remorse over the killing. However, he said: "You took a knife to a teenage party, and this is the sort of thing that happens when people do that. The evidence is that you instigated the incident which led to the stabbing, by snatching Hill's chain. "I think the prosecution characterisation of your behaviour throughout that evening as being bullying and aggressive is a fair one. I also think you were the leader of the group that attacked Mr. Hill in support of you."

The trial heard how Mr. Hill was set upon by Lewis and a group of his friends who beat him with motorcycle helmets and a wooden cane.

Witnesses said he was also stabbed with a screwdriver by a female friend of Lewis's, Zharrin Simmons, who was also 16 at the time. However, the post-mortem indicated the fatal wound was caused by a knife. Lewis and Miss Simmons were allegedly joined in attacking Mr. Hill by their friends Gary Hollis, then 15, Devon Hairston, then 17 and Kevin Warner, then 18.

All five teenagers originally went on trial together last summer on charges of murder. However, all but Lewis were cleared by the jury on the direction of Judge Charles-Etta Simmons partway through the trial, as she said there was no case to answer based on the evidence.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on Lewis, prompting his retrial for murder earlier this year.

In his defence, he admitted getting in a fight with Mr. Hill but denied stabbing him. The jury cleared Lewis of murder but convicted him of manslaughter and knife possession.

The difference between the two is that murder requires an intent to kill or cause serious harm. Manslaughter is a lesser offence, and does not require the element of intent.

Yesterday, Director of Public Prosecutions Rory Field pointed out that Lewis and his friends were seen acting "aggressively and inappropriately" prior to the attack, and "making signs that presented themselves as being gang-affiliated".

He noted the recent upsurge in violent crime in Bermuda, and said: "Law abiding members of society are particularly concerned about offences of violence carried out by groups of young persons acting in a gang-type mode."

As he sentenced Lewis, Mr. Justice Ground said: "It is true as the DPP says, that there has been a marked upswing in crimes of violence in Bermuda, many of them lethal, and that the public at large are both shocked and frightened by this sort of lawless behaviour.

"In sentencing you I am therefore concerned to protect the community, to reinforce community-held values, and to denounce unlawful conduct."

Defence lawyer John Perry QC pointed out that Lewis has no previous convictions, and while he accepts participating in the attack, he denies inflicting the fatal wound.

Mr. Perry read from a pre-sentence report, in which Lewis told court services officers: "I really feel for his family and I can understand that they want someone to be punished for what happened to Kellon, but I'm not the one."

In an apparent reference to the charges being thrown out against the four others who originally went on trial with him, Lewis remarked: "They are my friends, but they should not have gotten off like that. Somebody killed him but it's not me."

Lewis and Hollis are currently awaiting trail in Magistrates' Court over an alleged wounding predating the Kellon Hill killing.