Four teenagers accused of shooting and stabbing a 15-year-old schoolboy to death have been found guilty of murder
- 2 years ago
Source: SWNS
Four teenagers accused of shooting and stabbing a 15-year-old schoolboy to death during a gang attack outside his home have been found guilty of murder.
Keon Lincoln was stabbed eight times and shot twice during the "short and brutal" 30-second onslaught in Handsworth, Birmingham on January 21.
A court heard he was repeatedly knifed by the by the machete-wielding masked gang who got out of a stolen car and chased him along Linwood Road.
After being "stabbed and hacked at" with the large knives Keon was then shot in the stomach by a 14-year-old gunman as he lay defenceless on the ground.
The gunshots prompted Keon's mum Sharmaine to run from her home into the street and she was heard screaming: “He’s only 15” as her son lay dying.
The youngster was rushed to hospital following the broad daylight attack which was caught on CCTV - but passed away two hours later.
Last month five teenagers, aged between 14 and 18, went on trial accused of murder at Birmingham Crown Court.
The 14-year-old boy, from Birmingham and a 16-year-old from Walsall, West Mids., cannot be named for legal reasons because of their ages.
They denied murder along with Tahjgeem Breakenridge, 18, and Michael Ugochukwu, 18, both from Birmingham.
Today (Thurs) a jury unanimously found the four teenagers guilty of murder after deliberating for ten hours following a four-week long trial.
The public gallery remained silent while the verdicts were read out as the judge had instructed them to be beforehand.
The jury are still deliberating over a murder charge on the fifth defendant Kieron Donaldson, 18, from the Perry Barr area of the city.
Judge William Davis QC said: “Because of the ages of two of the defendants I am going to postpone sentence.
“It would assist me if we could sentence on a Monday - can I provisionally set a date of November 29?
“It doesn’t seem there is any necessity for four defendants that were convicted to attend tomorrow.
“The current order in relation to the under 18s will remain until the date of sentence."
The court was told there was no precise motive for the attack but that it was clearly planned by the gang.
The 14-year-old boy was said to know Keon but "they had never fallen out".
After leaving Keon lying in a pool of blood, the masked teenagers escaped in a stolen Ford C-Max, which later crashed in Wheeler Street, Birmingham.
Forensic evidence including a hunting knife was recovered from the vehicle, which was caught on CCTV arriving and leaving the scene.
Ugochukwu and Breakenridge were also caught on security cameras wielding knives in chilling CCTV released by West Midlands Police.
Prosecutor Michael Burrows QC told the court previously: “Plainly, it’s obvious this attack was planned. The attackers were out together armed with weapons.
“In the case of the 14-year-old, he was armed with a gun loaded with ammunition.
“The CCTV shows one of the individuals had a gun and shot at Keon Lincoln twice.
Four teenagers accused of shooting and stabbing a 15-year-old schoolboy to death during a gang attack outside his home have been found guilty of murder.
Keon Lincoln was stabbed eight times and shot twice during the "short and brutal" 30-second onslaught in Handsworth, Birmingham on January 21.
A court heard he was repeatedly knifed by the by the machete-wielding masked gang who got out of a stolen car and chased him along Linwood Road.
After being "stabbed and hacked at" with the large knives Keon was then shot in the stomach by a 14-year-old gunman as he lay defenceless on the ground.
The gunshots prompted Keon's mum Sharmaine to run from her home into the street and she was heard screaming: “He’s only 15” as her son lay dying.
The youngster was rushed to hospital following the broad daylight attack which was caught on CCTV - but passed away two hours later.
Last month five teenagers, aged between 14 and 18, went on trial accused of murder at Birmingham Crown Court.
The 14-year-old boy, from Birmingham and a 16-year-old from Walsall, West Mids., cannot be named for legal reasons because of their ages.
They denied murder along with Tahjgeem Breakenridge, 18, and Michael Ugochukwu, 18, both from Birmingham.
Today (Thurs) a jury unanimously found the four teenagers guilty of murder after deliberating for ten hours following a four-week long trial.
The public gallery remained silent while the verdicts were read out as the judge had instructed them to be beforehand.
The jury are still deliberating over a murder charge on the fifth defendant Kieron Donaldson, 18, from the Perry Barr area of the city.
Judge William Davis QC said: “Because of the ages of two of the defendants I am going to postpone sentence.
“It would assist me if we could sentence on a Monday - can I provisionally set a date of November 29?
“It doesn’t seem there is any necessity for four defendants that were convicted to attend tomorrow.
“The current order in relation to the under 18s will remain until the date of sentence."
The court was told there was no precise motive for the attack but that it was clearly planned by the gang.
The 14-year-old boy was said to know Keon but "they had never fallen out".
After leaving Keon lying in a pool of blood, the masked teenagers escaped in a stolen Ford C-Max, which later crashed in Wheeler Street, Birmingham.
Forensic evidence including a hunting knife was recovered from the vehicle, which was caught on CCTV arriving and leaving the scene.
Ugochukwu and Breakenridge were also caught on security cameras wielding knives in chilling CCTV released by West Midlands Police.
Prosecutor Michael Burrows QC told the court previously: “Plainly, it’s obvious this attack was planned. The attackers were out together armed with weapons.
“In the case of the 14-year-old, he was armed with a gun loaded with ammunition.
“The CCTV shows one of the individuals had a gun and shot at Keon Lincoln twice.