Four teens guilty of murdering two 16-year-old boys in south-east London

Four teenagers have been found guilty of murdering two 16-year-old boys in south-east London.

Charlie Bartolo and one of his killers, Kearne Solanke, were both murdered on 26 November 2022.

Hussain Bah, 19, Alagie Jobe, 19, and Jake Debonsu, 18, all from Greenwich, and a 16-year-old were convicted on Friday at Inner London Crown Court.

Charlie was attacked in Abbey Wood while Kearne was found a mile away in Thamesmead, the Old Bailey heard.

Charlie was stabbed to death after his moped was rammed by a car and Kearne, who was one of his attackers, also died during the "chaos" of the same incident, the court was told.

The prosecution's William Emlyn Jones KC said the victims were found about a mile apart within a few minutes of each other, but CCTV evidence revealed they were stabbed in the same violence.

The footage showed a moped driven by Charlie being "deliberately rammed by a car, with the bike rider being thrown into the air and landing on the pavement", Mr Emlyn Jones said.

"No sooner had the car hit him and knocked him off his bike, than the car stopped next to him and its occupants all got out."

The court heard that three people got out of the car and used large knives to "stab and strike Charlie as he lay helpless on the ground" on Sewell Road.

He was found to have suffered multiple stab wounds, including one to his head, and died from his injuries in hospital that evening.

Kearne was one of the murderers but died during the violence after one of his "own team" had "stabbed his own friend", the court heard.

Det Ch Insp Kate Blackburn said: "I am glad that all four defendants have been found guilty.

"It was an unusual case in that the murder of Kearne Solanke was obviously not what the group had set out to achieve.

"This case demonstrates the utter devastation caused by knife crime and people who arm themselves with large knives, not only risk killing those they see as enemies, but also people they consider their friends.

"My thoughts, and those of my team, remain with the families of both Charlie and Kearne."

Bah and Jobe are due to be sentenced at the same court on 7 February. The other two defendants are set to be sentenced on 23 February.

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