Youths Guilty Of 15-Year-Old Boy’S Stabbing Murder Over Postcode Gang Rivalry

Youths Guilty Of 15-Year-Old Boy’S Stabbing Murder Over Postcode Gang Rivalry

Three youths have been convicted of murdering a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed in a postcode gang rivalry fuelled by taunting online music videos.

Jermaine Goupall was chased down by two or three masked attackers armed with knives or machetes, the Old Bailey heard.

He was stabbed in the thigh and bled to death on the evening of August 8 last year in Georgia Road, Thornton Heath, in south London.

Five defendants alleged to be linked to the CR0 gang in south London had denied involvement in his murder.

Prosecutor Mukul Chawla QC said the attackers donned masks or balaclavas and went to the scene in a Ford Focus to attack people they believed to be part of a rival gang called CR7.

He said: “They were nothing more than a marauding gang of thugs who had gone to Thornton Heath and were there to hunt down anyone whom they thought was from the CR7 gang unfortunate enough to get in their way.

“That attack resulted in the stabbing and death of Jermaine Goupall.”

The prosecutor said tensions were raised between the two gangs following a series of music videos posted online in which they “taunted” each other.

He said: “The motivation for the attack appears to lie in the fact that each of the defendants is part, or connected with members, of the CR0 gang.

“The evidence demonstrates that this was a pre-planned attack with knives or similar implements on those that they thought were part of the rival CR7 gang.”

Samuel Oliver-Rowland, 18, from Croydon, Adam Benzahi, 21, of Carshalton, and a 17-year-old boy from Croydon were found guilty of murder.

Saskia Haye-Elliott, 18, was convicted of manslaughter and 18-year-old Daniel Luke, also from Croydon, was acquitted.

The guilty defendants were remanded in custody to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday.