ONE of the killers of young father Reece James was sentenced to  18 years in prison at Winchester Crown Court today.

Jarome Parkinson, 25, of Dover Road, Folkestone, was sentenced weeks after his co-defendants, Kieron Wellington, 30, of Durley Gardens, Bournemouth, Keifer Hutchinson, 23, of Manaton Close, Peckham, and Wayne Stephenson, 34, of Byron Court, East Dulwich, as a pre-sentence report and a psychiatric report needed to be prepared.

He will serve half of his sentence, and spend the remainder on licence.

Parkinson, who has two young children, has committed a number of serious crimes, including two robberies, conspiring to commit robbery, and possession of an imitation firearm.

Most of the offences were committed when he was aged between 15 and 17.

He also pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying seven wraps of heroin and one of crack cocaine in Kent between June 25 and July 16 2012, and the court heard he had referred to himself as "the best dealer in the area".

A probation officer concluded in a report that Parkinson "has been reflecting on his life and there may have been a sincere and significant change in his perspective".

Judge Mrs Justice Nicola Davies said: "It is said you show real signs of attempting to finally sort yourself out."

However, she added that the seriousness of Parkinson's offences had "escalated", and said:

"Punishment seems to act as no real deterrent."

The judge gave Parkinson four years for his most recent drugs offences, to run concurrently with his sentence for manslaughter.

Mr James was shot in a flat in Roumelia Lane, Boscombe, on July 25 last year.

Parkinson's three co-defendants were each sentenced to 16 years.

They were told they will serve half of these sentences.

A fifth person, Terri-Lea Campbell, 22, of Durley Gardens, was found not guilty of the death of Mr James halfway through the trial.