THE family of a murderer who has won a cut in the minimum term of his life sentence have enraged Warrington Guardian readers by speaking of their pride for the killer.

Paul ‘Piggsy’ Holcroft, of Grace Avenue, Orford, was jailed for at least 18 years at Chester Crown Court in October last year after he was found guilty of stabbing 20-year-old love-rival Christopher Lamberth to death with a 26cm Rambo knife.

Two years were knocked off that figure on Friday when top judges at London’s Court of Appeal agreed that the sentencing judge had placed too much emphasis on the fact that the 25-year-old had armed himself before confronting his victim.

But when news of the successful appeal broke on warringtonguardian.co.uk, Holcroft’s sister Kirsty Holcroft, who appeared in the newspaper last year after breaking a 17-year-old girl’s jaw outside a Bridge Street nightclub, posted the following message under the name kirstylee: “well done pigs (bro) u did us all proud 2day love ya lots xxx”

Kirsty, of Alder Lane, Orford, who was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison after she admittedinflicting grievous bodily harm on her victim, then posted on her brother’s Facebook page: “well in bro gud news yesterday wernt it, it was well worth r trip to London well in love ya xx”

Disgusted readers responded in their droves online.

lackylas said: “Kirsty- glad your proud of your killer ‘bro’, just a shame Chris Lamberths family cant go on to see many more proud moments of him.”

Paul Holcroft stabbed Mr Lamberth to death in the hallway of the victim’s mum’s Manchester Road home at around 7.20am on November 18, 2007 – hours after he had been celebrating his 21st birthday.

The knife went fully into his victim’s chest, puncturing both lungs and going through his heart.

During the subsequent trial the court heard that the killer attacked Mr Lamberth out of revenge after he had quarrelled with Kerry Thomas, one-time girlfriend of both men. She claimed Mr Lamberth had hit her.

Holcroft armed himself with weapons from his girlfriend Emma’s house while she was in hospital, having just given birth to his baby, and was then driven by Miss Thomas to Manchester Road after making the detour to pick up the knife and a pick-axe.

He said he had only intended to scare people at the house with the weapons, but the court later heard that he had also received a punishment of 180 hours’ community service for stabbing someone in 2001, received a community order for battery in July 2007 and in November that year received a curfew order for threatening behaviour, for which he was wearing a tag at the time of the attack.

l Editor's note: Thanks for your comments on this article but they have now been suspended.

The debate has gone as far as it can.

Just to clarify one comment. Nobody working on the paper will have said anything about "it just pays my wages".

Gareth Dunning.

News Editor