Ramarni Crosby: Teenagers jailed for killing 16-year-old in Gloucester

Four teenagers convicted of stabbing a 16-year-old boy to death in Gloucester have been jailed.

Ramarni Crosby, 16, from Frampton-on-Severn, died after being stabbed in the skull and back in a gang fight on 15 December 2021.

Eight people were cleared of his murder at a trial at Bristol Crown Court in June, but three were convicted of a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Callum Charles-Quebella, 18, had pleaded guilty to the same charge.

During sentencing earlier, Levi Cameron, 19, was sentenced to 12 years and five months, while Charles-Quebella was handed eight years and five months in prison.

Both were told they must serve two-thirds of their sentence in custody, as well as serving an additional three years on licence.

Two 16-year-olds, Shai Howes and Oisin Barrett, were given eight years and nine months and seven years and six months respectively, in a young offenders institution.

It is the first time the two boys can be named after the judge, Mrs Justice Cutts, lifted reporting restrictions on their identities.

Passing sentence, Justice Cutts, said: "The reasons for starting this confrontation were beyond petty - it seems one of your friends had a fist fight with one of Ramarni's friends 10 days earlier.

"No serious injury was caused but petty insults were exchanged on social media."

She continued: "Nothing that happened before remotely justified your arming yourselves as you did.

"Never has there been a clearer example of the dangers of carrying a knife than this case and the death of this young boy."

The court heard that Cameron and Howes were caught on CCTV apparently acting out the stabbing of Ramarni while "jumping for joy".

Barrett wrote drill rap lyrics glorifying the killing, while Charles-Quebella used computer software to create an image of himself holding a machete over a picture of Ramarni.

Justice Cutts said the group had been "ready and willing" to use the weapons they had on them, adding: "I reject that there was any element of self-defence in what you did."

She said that none of Ramarni's group could be seen carrying weapons in any of the CCTV footage of the incident.

"For no reason at all, this young man was ferociously set upon.

"It is simply disgusting and horrifying that a young boy's death was a cause for such celebration," she added.

In a victim impact statement, Ramarni's grandmother Viv Clifford, with whom he lived, said: "Ramarni had a loving childhood and had grown into a charming, wonderful and happy young man surrounded by people who loved him.

"The impact on the lives of myself and our family has been colossal and I know now our lives will never be the same again."

Ms Clifford continued: "The loss of Ramarni has made me feel like I didn't protect him or I let him down, even though the rational part of my brain knows that the people responsible are the defendants.

"I am haunted by the way he died and my mind is plagued by the thought of him dying alone.

"I am constantly thinking about how he would have felt in those final moments, scared and surrounded by strangers."

Ms Clifford said the defendants had shown "absolutely no remorse".

Ramarni's long-term girlfriend Taylor Newton, 18, described him as her "best friend", in a statement read to the court by prosecutor Edward Hetherington.

"He was such a caring, kind-hearted and loving person. He was so family orientated and this showed around both my family and his own."

Miss Newton said she was now wary of groups of youths on the street, adding: "The fact that some of the people involved have been released really worries me."

Some of the defendants were part of a gang called GL1 and would wear purple bandannas as a sign of membership, the court was told.

During investigations officers found two knives and a meat cleaver in drains nearby, while a machete was found in a canal.

Justice Cutts ended by saying her thoughts were with Ramarni's family, who she praised for their dignity throughout the trial.

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