Youths convicted of stab attack

A jury took three hours to convict Rookwood of murder

Five teenage gang members have been convicted in connection with an attack on a boy murdered almost two years ago.

Eugene Attram, 16, was stabbed in the chest, back and head as he made his way to a fireworks display in Mitcham, south London, in November 2006.

Ashley Rookwood, 18, was found guilty of murder. He was also convicted of violent disorder along with three other 18-year-olds and a 15-year-old boy.

Sentencing at the Old Bailey will take place on 12 September.

Gang chants

Those found guilty of violent disorder were Loren Fejziu, Sunil Alleyne, and Ebenezer Sampson, all 18 and from Mitcham, and Simeon Preddie, 15, from Tooting.

Judge Anthony Morris allowed Preddie to be named after hearing of his "terrible record" of crime starting from the age of 11, including knife possession and an attack on a police officer.

Eugene Attram was attacked by up to eight youths, the court heard.

The judge said: "This was a terrifying gang fight between two gangs of young males in the Mitcham area in which four people were stabbed. One of them died."

An Old Bailey jury returned unanimous verdicts against the five defendants.

The trial heard that Eugene was found dead on 4 November in Lavender Avenue, Mitcham, with an injured friend whose neck had been cut.

Four knives were recovered by police.

Eugene and his friend were among 14 youths belonging to a gang and had travelled to the area from Clapham.

One of the youths told police they had gone there to watch fireworks but witnesses heard them chanting their gang name, Anthony Leonard QC, prosecuting, told the court.

They were in an area where members of another gang were present.

Eugene was attacked by seven or eight youths who were punching and kicking him.

His friend went to help but was also attacked.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version