Crime reporter(wp/es):
A teenager who stabbed to death a 15-year-old boy in a murderthat was filmed and posted on Snapchat is facing life in prison.
The 17-year-old was in a pack of boys who chased and attacked Jordan Douherty when an overcrowded 16th birthday party got out of control.
As witnesses pulled out their phones to film the violence, Jordan tripped and fell to the ground where he was punched, kicked, and then stabbed through the heart.
Footage of the attack was quickly circulated on Snapchat, as paramedics tried to save Jordan’s life.
At the Old Bailey yesterday, the 17-year-old killer was convicted by a jury of murder. Two other boys, aged 16 and 17, were found guilty of conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm in the attack on Jordan.
Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith, who led the investigation, said afterwards that the murder was for “absolutely no reason” as he called for an end to knife violence.
He said: “Those who carry knives must understand this is not a game, there is not a reset button and you cannot erase the consequences of using a knife.
“Young men are spending the best years of their lives in prison, while the friends they sought to impress slowly forget about them.
“Young men should understand what a life sentence really is, being caged, missing out on life and being released into a world that has passed them by.”
He added: “There is not a modicum of justification for this brutal killing and my heart goes out to Jordan’s family, who have been devastated by his death. The heartache for the family is a sentence that lasts forever.” The attack happened on June 23 when a schoolgirl’s 16th birthday party — which had been promoted on Snapchat — had to be shut down as the venue was dangerously overcrowded.
Jordan got into a confrontation with a group of boys outside the party at the North Romford Community Centre in full view of police officers who had been called to help disperse the crowd.
After an initial scuffle was broken up, he was chased by a large group of boys and then attacked. “Jordan posed no threat to anyone, and the use of a knife was wholly without even the beginning of a justification,” said Duncan Atkinson QC, prosecuting.
The three teenagers, all from east London, denied the charges. They will be sentenced next year alongside William Nayya-Welly, 20, of Romford, who admitted hiding the murder weapon.
After the killing, cafe owner Zubaer Chowdhury, whose flat overlooks the area, described the event as a “timebomb”. He said: “Young girls and guys were coming out drinking and smoking. It was just a matter of time before something happened … suddenly we could see hundreds of kids running in all different ways. Fifteen minutes later the police arrived. There were probably about 20 to 30 police cars and vans, with two or three dogs.”
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