Greenwich: Teens detained for life for murder of two 16-year-old boys

Two teenagers have been detained for life with minimum 25-year terms for murdering two 16-year-old boys in south-east London.

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

Hussain Bah, 19, and Alagie Jobe, 19, both of Greenwich, were sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on Thursday.

Jake Debonsu, 18, and a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named, were also convicted of murder.

They are set to be sentenced later this month.

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

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

The prosecution 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.

In a statement released after sentencing, Det Ch Insp Kate Blackburn said: "My team of detectives worked relentlessly to identify the group's movements across south-east London on the day of the murders.

"Even though some of the CCTV did not pick up their faces, my officers worked incredibly hard to identify them via their clothing including trousers and footwear.

"This was crucial in placing them together before and after the attack on Charlie."

She added the case showed "the utter devastation caused by knife crime" and the "lengthy sentences" demonstrated how seriously the courts took the issue.

Bah was handed two life sentences, each with a minimum term of 25 years and six months, to run concurrently.

Jobe was also handed two life sentences, each with a minimum term of 25 years, to run concurrently.

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