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| Myron Yarde stabbing: three teenagers found guilty of manslaughter | |
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| Three teenagers have been found guilty of the manslaughter of Myron Yarde, a 17-year-old aspiring rapper from south London who was stabbed to death in a fight over a stolen bicycle. | Three teenagers have been found guilty of the manslaughter of Myron Yarde, a 17-year-old aspiring rapper from south London who was stabbed to death in a fight over a stolen bicycle. |
| Myron, who performed under the pseudonym Mdot, was backed up against a wall in New Cross, south London, and stabbed five times in the legs on the evening of 13 April this year. He collapsed near the scene, bleeding heavily from a severed femoral artery, and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving in hospital. | Myron, who performed under the pseudonym Mdot, was backed up against a wall in New Cross, south London, and stabbed five times in the legs on the evening of 13 April this year. He collapsed near the scene, bleeding heavily from a severed femoral artery, and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving in hospital. |
| Fauz Richards, 19, known as Mags or Maggie, and two youths aged 15 and 16, who cannot be named, were acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey. | Fauz Richards, 19, known as Mags or Maggie, and two youths aged 15 and 16, who cannot be named, were acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey. |
| Adjourning sentencing until 13 January, the judge Nicholas Cooke said “the evil” of knife crime “has to stop – too many young men lose their lives in this way”. | Adjourning sentencing until 13 January, the judge Nicholas Cooke said “the evil” of knife crime “has to stop – too many young men lose their lives in this way”. |
| Myron was the second teenager to die in a knife attack on the streets of London this year. A promising rapper who was studying music performance at the Big Creative academy in Walthamstow, his death led to an outpouring of grief on social media, much of it carrying the hashtags #Mdot, #Mdotsworld and #RIPmdot. | Myron was the second teenager to die in a knife attack on the streets of London this year. A promising rapper who was studying music performance at the Big Creative academy in Walthamstow, his death led to an outpouring of grief on social media, much of it carrying the hashtags #Mdot, #Mdotsworld and #RIPmdot. |
| Hundreds of people turned out for Myron’s Nine-Nights at a community hall on the Woodpecker estate, where he lived and had grown up. One local woman said she believed him to be the 14th young person from the neighbourhood to be killed in 17 years. | Hundreds of people turned out for Myron’s Nine-Nights at a community hall on the Woodpecker estate, where he lived and had grown up. One local woman said she believed him to be the 14th young person from the neighbourhood to be killed in 17 years. |
| The events that led to Myron’s death were the culmination of friction arising partly from the theft of a bicycle, but also from ongoing tension between youths living in neighbouring parts of New Cross, Lisa Wilding QC, the prosecutor, told jurors. | The events that led to Myron’s death were the culmination of friction arising partly from the theft of a bicycle, but also from ongoing tension between youths living in neighbouring parts of New Cross, Lisa Wilding QC, the prosecutor, told jurors. |
| Myron had lent his bike to his friend Leoandro Osemeke, 16 – who was himself later fatally stabbed in an unrelated incident in nearby Peckham – who had ridden it to the rival Monson neighbourhood to buy pizza, the court heard. After Leoandro arrived in Monson, the bicycle was snatched. | Myron had lent his bike to his friend Leoandro Osemeke, 16 – who was himself later fatally stabbed in an unrelated incident in nearby Peckham – who had ridden it to the rival Monson neighbourhood to buy pizza, the court heard. After Leoandro arrived in Monson, the bicycle was snatched. |
| It was said that Myron armed himself with a machete as he and a group of friends ventured into Monson to get the bike back. The court heard that the youngest defendant lured four of them to Camplin Street, where Richards lived. There, that same defendant was said to have taunted Myron, telling him: “What you gonna do? My olders are here now.” | It was said that Myron armed himself with a machete as he and a group of friends ventured into Monson to get the bike back. The court heard that the youngest defendant lured four of them to Camplin Street, where Richards lived. There, that same defendant was said to have taunted Myron, telling him: “What you gonna do? My olders are here now.” |
| All three defendants, who the court told were armed with a flick-knife and two kitchen knives, cornered Myron, who was backed up against a wall as two of his friends ran off. According to Myron’s remaining friend, who tried to stop the killing, the victim tried to lash out at Richards before being stabbed. Jurors also heard accounts from members of the public at the scene. | All three defendants, who the court told were armed with a flick-knife and two kitchen knives, cornered Myron, who was backed up against a wall as two of his friends ran off. According to Myron’s remaining friend, who tried to stop the killing, the victim tried to lash out at Richards before being stabbed. Jurors also heard accounts from members of the public at the scene. |
| “It is clear that the events on Camplin Street were fast, terrifying and shocking, both for participants and witnesses,” Wilding said. “Each witness noticed different things and had a different perspective. What is clear is that at the moment he was fatally stabbed, Myron Yarde quite literally had his back against the wall. The eyewitnesses did not see him with a weapon, nor do anything that amounted to assaulting or trying to assault any of those who had him surrounded.” | “It is clear that the events on Camplin Street were fast, terrifying and shocking, both for participants and witnesses,” Wilding said. “Each witness noticed different things and had a different perspective. What is clear is that at the moment he was fatally stabbed, Myron Yarde quite literally had his back against the wall. The eyewitnesses did not see him with a weapon, nor do anything that amounted to assaulting or trying to assault any of those who had him surrounded.” |
| Regardless of whether he was armed at the time of the attack, Myron was “effectively helpless”, Wilding added. | Regardless of whether he was armed at the time of the attack, Myron was “effectively helpless”, Wilding added. |
| Upon hearing on Snapchat that Myron had been seriously injured, the 15-year-old defendant allegedly said: “Why the F did he have to come to Monson? I think I’ve killed him.” When he was arrested four days later, he told officers: “Some people deserve to die, I just mean not everyone is innocent, including that boy that died.” | Upon hearing on Snapchat that Myron had been seriously injured, the 15-year-old defendant allegedly said: “Why the F did he have to come to Monson? I think I’ve killed him.” When he was arrested four days later, he told officers: “Some people deserve to die, I just mean not everyone is innocent, including that boy that died.” |
| The defendants all denied murder and were found not guilty of that charge but guilty of manslaughter. The 15-year-old told jurors that he had stabbed Myron once in self-defence, causing the fatal wound, and that Richards had knifed him four times. | The defendants all denied murder and were found not guilty of that charge but guilty of manslaughter. The 15-year-old told jurors that he had stabbed Myron once in self-defence, causing the fatal wound, and that Richards had knifed him four times. |
| Richards told jurors he was not at the scene and a witness was mistaken. However, a red and white kitchen knife found in his back garden had Myron’s blood on it, the court heard. | Richards told jurors he was not at the scene and a witness was mistaken. However, a red and white kitchen knife found in his back garden had Myron’s blood on it, the court heard. |
| The 16-year-old defendant did not give evidence. The machete Myron was said to have had on him was not found at the scene. | The 16-year-old defendant did not give evidence. The machete Myron was said to have had on him was not found at the scene. |
| Charlotte Edmonds, 32, and Jamie Kennedy, 31, of New Cross, were convicted of perverting the course of justice. | Charlotte Edmonds, 32, and Jamie Kennedy, 31, of New Cross, were convicted of perverting the course of justice. |