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| Jodie Chesney: Two teens jailed for murder | Jodie Chesney: Two teens jailed for murder |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Two teenagers have been jailed for life for murdering a 17-year-old girl in an east London park. | Two teenagers have been jailed for life for murdering a 17-year-old girl in an east London park. |
| Jodie Chesney was stabbed in the back as she sat with friends in Harold Hill on 1 March. | Jodie Chesney was stabbed in the back as she sat with friends in Harold Hill on 1 March. |
| Svenson Ong-a-Kwie, 19, and Arron Isaacs, 17, of Barking, were both convicted earlier this month after a trial at the Old Bailey. | |
| Ong-a-Kwie, of Romford, will serve a minimum of 26 years while Isaacs was detained for at least 18 years. | Ong-a-Kwie, of Romford, will serve a minimum of 26 years while Isaacs was detained for at least 18 years. |
| Explaining the sentences, Judge Wendy Joseph QC told the court she was "satisfied" Svenson had stabbed Jodie while Isaacs was a "willing supporter". | Explaining the sentences, Judge Wendy Joseph QC told the court she was "satisfied" Svenson had stabbed Jodie while Isaacs was a "willing supporter". |
| "When that knife was driven into Jodie, that intention was to kill," she said. | "When that knife was driven into Jodie, that intention was to kill," she said. |
| She added that her death "was part of a series of tit-for-tat attacks" which had been "increasing in ferocity", and "although the target was not Jodie... there was a degree of planning". | She added that her death "was part of a series of tit-for-tat attacks" which had been "increasing in ferocity", and "although the target was not Jodie... there was a degree of planning". |
| During the trial, each of the defendants blamed each other for the attack but a jury took less than six hours to find them both guilty of murder. | During the trial, each of the defendants blamed each other for the attack but a jury took less than six hours to find them both guilty of murder. |
| In an impact statement read before sentencing, Jodie's father Peter Chesney said the death of his daughter "has destroyed my life". | In an impact statement read before sentencing, Jodie's father Peter Chesney said the death of his daughter "has destroyed my life". |
| The 39-year-old, who was not in court, described how a year ago he had started a new job as a salesman in the City "and I was about to take over the world in a promising career. | The 39-year-old, who was not in court, described how a year ago he had started a new job as a salesman in the City "and I was about to take over the world in a promising career. |
| "Now I sit here in the cabin in my garden writing this statement. I have left that job, the relationship with my wife has fallen apart and we are now getting divorced. I must sell my house, and above all, I have lost the most precious human being I will ever know," he said. | "Now I sit here in the cabin in my garden writing this statement. I have left that job, the relationship with my wife has fallen apart and we are now getting divorced. I must sell my house, and above all, I have lost the most precious human being I will ever know," he said. |
| Following the stabbing, Jodie collapsed into the arms of her boyfriend Eddie Coyle who told the court he had been "completely changed" by the events of that night. | Following the stabbing, Jodie collapsed into the arms of her boyfriend Eddie Coyle who told the court he had been "completely changed" by the events of that night. |
| "I find it hard to sleep most of the time. I've been diagnosed with PTSD from this, and it keeps me up most nights so I don't sleep," he said. | "I find it hard to sleep most of the time. I've been diagnosed with PTSD from this, and it keeps me up most nights so I don't sleep," he said. |
| The court had heard drug dealer Ong-a-Kwie and his runner Isaacs had been looking to take revenge on rivals but had killed Jodie by mistake. | The court had heard drug dealer Ong-a-Kwie and his runner Isaacs had been looking to take revenge on rivals but had killed Jodie by mistake. |
| The girl scout had been socialising with friends that evening when two figures emerged out of the dark and one plunged a knife in her back. | The girl scout had been socialising with friends that evening when two figures emerged out of the dark and one plunged a knife in her back. |
| The two defendants fled in another drug dealer's car but were arrested together days later as they fled from a house linked to Isaacs, the jury were told. | The two defendants fled in another drug dealer's car but were arrested together days later as they fled from a house linked to Isaacs, the jury were told. |
| Ong-a-Kwie had convictions for possessing and supplying drugs and had admitted being in breach of a six-week suspended sentence for handling stolen jewellery. | |
| Two other people - Manuel Petrovic, 20, of Romford, and a 16-year-old boy - were both cleared of murder and manslaughter. | |
| Met Police officer Det Insp Perry Benton described the investigation as "one of the hardest I've ever dealt with", adding that the defendants "have shown no remorse from day one". | |
| Speaking following the sentencing, Jodie's uncle Terry Chesney said the family were "happy" with the jail terms and would now "try" to get on with their lives. | |
| "Today was justice. We'll never get her back, but we've got justice," he said. |