WITH a summer of music festivals on the way, the death of teenager Alexander Pilkington at a mountain bike rally at Eastnor Castle, Ledbury in July 1995 is a chilling reminder of what can happen when things go wrong.

A jury at Worcester Crown Court ruled the 18-year-old’s killing, which dramatically brought to an end a night of drink-fuelled revelry, was manslaughter not murder, but a young life had gone just the same.

The tragic twist to the story was that Alex had been trying to act as peacemaker in a melee among friends when he was stabbed four times in the chest and stomach and died where he fell.

His attacker, Jason Mardi, then aged 19 and from Tewkesbury, claimed he was “too wrecked” to remember what happened. Police called to the site found the blood stained knife still in his pocket and Mardi said he had not bothered to clean or get rid of it because he didn’t think anything had occurred involving the weapon.

The night which ended so badly, had begun so brightly. In the summer of 1995, the Pilkington family lived in Leigh Sinton and Alex made a snap decision to go to the mountain bike rally at Eastnor –  where he had competed twice before – to meet his elder brother Chris.

Their mother Ann was to say later: “Alex heard some more people were going down there and he thought he’d go too. Once he had gone we did not hear from him again. It was only when Chris phoned to tell us that we found out what had happened. Chris wanted us to hear from him and not anyone else.”

The rally, which mixed competition with entertainment, was a popular event and attracted a 3,000-plus crowd. As it drew to a close naked drinkers shinned up the posts of a large marquee when hundreds of campers descended on the bar for a last night party.  Cans of drink were thrown at competitors who went “table surfing” and portable toilets outside were pushed over.

Into this over lively scene staggered Jason Mardi, drunk on cider and lager and in his pocket a knife he had bought on a youth club trip to France because he thought it would come in handy for his bike hobby. He was also wearing his prize possession, a distinctive Crocodile Dundee-style leather hat. Both in his manner and dress he was hardly inconspicuous. Mardi was later to tell police: “I got terribly drunk. I was too wrecked to scuffle with anyone. I had a hard enough job to walk.”

Somehow he came into contact with a group of young men, which included Alex Pilkington, and someone snatched Mardi’s hat from his head. His attempts to retrieve it became increasingly angry and frustrated and trouble was brewing. In an effort to calm the situation, Alex stepped forward, but as he did so Mardi lashed out,  stabbing him four times. Alex fell to the ground fatally wounded, while Mardi recovered his hat and wandered off drunkenly into the night. Police were soon on the scene and found him still trying to find his tent.

A witness was to tell the trial that he came across Mardi shortly after the incident and the defendant told him: “I think I have stabbed someone.” However, Mardi maintained he couldn’t recall the conversation. He said the first he could remember was a police officer approaching him: “He asked me if my name was Jason. I said yes. He felt in my pockets, then handcuffed me. I asked what I had done. An inspector came along and said I was being arrested for murder.”

Det Chief Insp David Borthwick said Mardi was easily identified because of his leather hat and added: “It was a really straightforward issue. The witnesses were able to give a very good description of Mardi.”

However, the senseless tragedy of what went on became more apparent as police enquiries continued. Chief Insp Borthwick added: “Jason Mardi has always indicated he has not got a clue what happened. He always came over as a pleasant and respectful young man. He has never been difficult.”

Friends of Mardi expressed their disbelief that someone they described as “a dreamer” could have killed someone. They said he avoided pubs in Tewkesbury because he was worried about trouble and was never involved in fights.  A youth worker in the town added: “When I heard Jason had been arrested you could have knocked me down with a feather.”

Of course all this was no consolation to Glyn and Ann Pilkington who had lost a son. They moved from Leigh Sinton to live in Nottingham. Mardi’s sentence of five years in prison struck a painful chord as well.  A few years before their home had been burgled and the offender was also jailed for five years. Understandably they questioned how the taking of their son’s life could be compared with the theft of their property.

Dismissing a murder charge, the trial jury found Jason Mardi guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of provocation and his father Karl observed: “I feel there were a lot of guys involved that night who would, I hope, think very deeply about the way they each behaved to a young man who was obviously in a drunken stupor.”