The three men found guilty of murdering talented footballer Izzy Mohamed learned this morning that they will spend a minimum of 83 years in prison.

Judge Johanna Cutts sentenced Oladapo Obadare, 26, Ryan Fuller-Bent, 21 and Ricky Champion Musaba, 22 to life imprisonment.

Obadare - who held the knife that fatally stabbed Mr Mohamed in Slough's Salt Hill Park - will serve a minimum of 31 years. Fuller-Bent and Musaba will serve a minimum of 26 years each.

Before sentencing the three at Reading Crown Court Judge Cutts said that Mr Mohamed had been a 'caring, loving, kind, generous and happy person, bringing love and warmth to all with whom he came into contact'.

She said: "He was a talented footballer who had been noticed by major international teams. He had a promising life in front of him - a life each of you took."

Earlier the court had heard a heartbreaking letter written by Mr Mohamed's mother Zuwena.

She wrote in her victim impact statement: "His killing has taken everything from me. I can't find pleasure in anything any more. I have no peace.

"I feel only a cold chill. Sometimes I feel I must be having a nightmare and my son will come to me.

"No parent should have to bury a child. I have been given a life sentence of torture and pain."

Judge Cutts said that Obadare had built up a significent drugs business in Slough, using runners to deliver them and collect money.

He and his two cohorts confronted Mr Mohamed who was celebrating his 24th birthday with friends in Salt Hill Park in the early hours of July 10 last year, because Obadare believed one of them had sold drugs to one of his customers.

Judge Cutts said Mr Mohamed had told Obadare he did not know what he was talking about and tried to calm him.

But Obadare had said to the other two 'it's on' - making it clear that his action was a joint enterprise, before stabbing Mr Mohamed in the abdomen.

The judge said: "I do not find that any of you intended to kill Izzy Mohamed. I sentence you on the basis that you intended to cause him really serious bodily injury to get your point across that no-one was to deal drugs on what you saw as your territory."

After chasing and wounding another man the three left and on the way back Obadare sold drugs to another customer.

Judge Cutts said: "You cared little that Izzy Mohamed had been seriously injured - indeed that had been your purpose. You all three carried on as if nothing had happened."

Fuller-Bent even left a message in rap format on his phone, which translated as meaning 'how many times am I going to stab someone and tell them this is my town?'

Earlier the court heard that Obadare had 10 previous convictions including armed robbery at a jeweller's and was already serving a five year sentence for possession of drugs, imposed in January.

Fuller-Bent had 11 previous convictions and Musaba nine.