POLICE today released a picture of the knife which teenager Hayden Maslen had in the brawl which led to the death of Jordan Taylor.

Maslen stabbed Mr Taylor with a knife he told the court he had bought for his own protection during a fight in Trowbridge in March.

Mr Taylor died within an hour.

On Wednesday a jury at Bristol Crown Court cleared Maslen, 19, of Park Street, of charges of the murder, manslaughter, wounding with intent and unlawful wounding of Mr Taylor.

Maslen denied those charges but admitted being in possession of a bladed article.

Yesterday Maslen was jailed for 20 months.

Judge Peter Blair QC told him: “You got this knife when you were 17 years old, you have described it as a knife you thought ‘looked cool’.

“Get this into your head – knives are not cool. Any sensible person looking at this knife would describe it as evil.

“You weren’t only carrying it then, you had been keeping it in the messenger bag that you took everywhere.

“If you didn’t have this evil weapon, Jordan Taylor would be alive.”

He said that Maslen’s reasoning behind carrying the knife was “idiotic” and “warped” and that his 20 months’ imprisonment at a young offenders’ institute was: “The consequence of carrying knives.”

Detective Inspector Jim Taylor, who led the inquiry into Jordan Taylor's death, spoke outside the court, said: "Anyone carrying a knife is committing an offence. It can have a very devastating effect.

"Wiltshire Police are working closely with the community to help young people understand the dangers of knife crime."

Wiltshire Police will decide whether to destroy the knife or whether to use it to educate young people on the dangers of knife crime.