Five men have been sent to prison after a teenager was stabbed in a busy street in Hackney.
The judge, HHJ Rosa Dean, said the group ‘acted like a pack of wolves’ to attack the victim.
The Hackney Gangs Task Force investigated the violent incident and spent hours analysing CCTV footage of the vicinity in the lead up to the stabbing that showed the culprits actively searching for their target. Knowledge of their local area and community meant officers were able to confidently identify those responsible, resulting in today’s outcome.
The below individuals were sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Wednesday, 16 March:
Kyle Taylor, 26 of Hackney, E8 pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon, GBH with intent and violent disorder and was jailed for six years and four months.
Courtney Paul, 24, of Tottenham, N17 pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and was found guilty of GBH with intent and violent disorder. He was jailed for eight years.
Cameron James-Meade, 18 of Hackney, E8 was found guilty of both GBH with intent and violent disorder and was jailed for three years.
William Guy, 18 from Hackney, E5 pleaded guilty to GBH with intent, violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon and was jailed for five years and six months.
Amario Kerr, 18 from Hackney, E8 was found guilty of both GBH with intent and violent disorder and was jailed for three years.
Police were called to Broadway Market, E8 at 11.23pm on Thursday, 30 July 2020 to reports of a group of people fighting with knives. The area was full of many people enjoying a night out.
The incident was so frightening members of the public ran away in fear for their own safety and 22 eye witnesses made emergency calls to police. Some even believed the incident was a terrorist attack.
Officers arrived within four minutes and found a 15-year-old with multiple stab wounds. Officers took over first aid from a member of the public and he was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Before police arrived the suspects fled the scene on bikes and an immediate search of the area to find them began. They were nowhere to be seen but officers found a large machete in the vicinity of the stabbing. Work began to identify those involved.
Between August 2020 and May 2021, a series of early morning raids took place to arrest the suspects.
The jury heard the victim had travelled with a group to London Fields armed with a machete. As they entered the park his friends ran off. The victim ran down Broadway Market and was chased by the group. He was stabbed repeatedly and bottles and chairs were thrown at him. The knife used to stab him was never found. The victim has since recovered.
In court it was stated some of the suspects googled the stabbing on their phones to read about it in the news. Paul had a photo of the victim saved in his phone but told the court he was unsure how the image came to be there.
During the investigation officers analysed William Guy’s step counter on his phone which showed a significant number of steps at the time of the stabbing and then no steps immediately after when police were hunting for the suspects.
Officers also found evidence that William Guy and Cameron James-Meade were in a snapchat group called “The real A team”. In it they discussed the stabbing and how they were at risk of being charged due to the strong CCTV footage.
Paul, who has two previous convictions for possession of knives, told the court he found the knife in the park and picked it up in self-defence. Guy also stated he was acting in self-defence but admitted to losing control during the stabbing.
PC Cal Gregory of the Hackney Gangs Task Force said: “This was long and meticulous investigation where we carefully pieced together the evidence to build our case. The incident was frightening for the many members of the public in the area at the time and shows the impact violence can have on communities.
“The victim did not support a prosecution so our investigation sends a strong message to all violent individuals that we will pursue them wherever possible.
“Our relentless activity is having an impact: violent crime is down with data showing reductions across serious violent crime categories.
“Helping to tackle violence could be as small as providing crucial intelligence about what is happening in your area, to the independent charity Crimestoppers – it could save a life.”
For his part in the incident the then 15-year-old victim was arrested in August 2020. He was charged with violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. He subsequently pleaded guilty on 16 March 2021 at Stratford Magistrates’ Court. He was referred to the Hackney Youth Offender panel.
If you have any information about knife crime, please contact police or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 – your anonymity is guaranteed. They are a totally independent of police and you remain 100 per cent anonymous, they never ask your name and they cannot trace your call, your IP address or device you use.
No detail you might have is too small – every bit of information helps towards the fight against violence in London.
It is absolutely critical that we, along with our partners, drive down violent crime in London – this is the top priority for all in the Met.
Our plans are strong and officers are using a range of tactics from prevention and diversion activities to enforcement. Our continued efforts are starting to have a collective impact, with data showing positive reductions across serious violent crime categories.
