Teenagers guilty of party murder

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Two teenagers face life sentences after being found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old boy at a birthday party in a row over a mobile phone.

Lyle Tulloch, from Peckham, south-east London, was stabbed 13 times in a stairwell at Newall House, Elephant & Castle, south London, in May.

Lyle's father Tony Lee described his son as a "peacemaker".

Damien Solowabe, 18, and Tobi Peters, 17, both from south-east London, are due to be sentenced on Wednesday.

Lyle wanted to be a lawyer who had "no barrier to his dream", said his father.

"He had his young life taken away by those more worried about their reputation than the life of another, " he said.

Aspiring lawyer

Solowabe, from Gipsy Hill, and Peters, of Deptford, attacked Lyle after wrongly blaming him when Solowabe's phone went missing.

Solowabe, who had gatecrashed the party with a female friend, was also angry when he found her hugging Lyle, and had to be calmed down after a jealous outburst.

Lyle Tulloch had 13 stab wounds

Solowabe's phone went missing after he lent it to Lyle's friend, and Peters ordered people outside to be searched, the court heard.

Solowabe put a large kitchen knife up his sleeve and the pair rounded up partygoers outside to find out who was responsible.

One was so terrified he leapt from a second floor balcony onto a ledge to escape, jurors heard.

Lyle backed off as Solowabe approached him with the blade in his hand, and was then dragged round a corner, before being heard to cry out.

David Waters QC, prosecuting, said: "He suffered 13 separate stab wounds. Some were minor or superficial but another entered his liver.

"Two passed through his right lung and another entered the right ventricle of his heart."

Tests showed blood found on Solowabe's trainers and a hooded top belonging to Peters matched that of the victim.

Judge Peter Rook lifted a court order banning the identification of Peters and warned each defendant they faced life sentences.