- Promising footballer Sofyen Belamouadden was stabbed nine times after pupils from two rival schools clashed at London's Victoria station
By Anthony Bond
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Three teenagers were detained for 18 years each today for murdering a 15-year-old schoolboy who they stabbed to death at an underground station.
Promising footballer Sofyen Belamouadden was stabbed nine times after pupils from two rival schools clashed at London's Victoria station in March 2010.
At the Old Bailey today, Obi Nwokeh, 19, Christopher Omoregrie, 18, and Samson Odegbune, 18, were all given a life sentence and told they must serve a minimum of 18 years.
They were also ordered to serve concurrent eight-year detention sentences for conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.
Murderers (from left to right): Obi Nwokeh, 19, Christopher Omoregrie, 18, and Samson Odegbune, 18, were all given a life sentence and told they must serve a minimum of 18 years
Victim: Schoolboy Sofyen Belamouadden, 15, was stabbed to death at London's Victoria station during rush hour
Judge Christopher Moss said the 'ferocious and merciless attack' took place in front of horrified commuters.
He said: 'You gathered together for the purpose of serious mass violence in a busy public place at the height of the rush hour.'
He said the 12-second attack on Sofyen had followed a minor confrontation the day before between pupils of two west London schools in the Victoria station food area.
His attackers used a 3.99 five-piece knife set bought from Argos, batons, iron bars and a Samurai sword in an act of 'indescribable aggression' the Old Bailey heard.
Sofyen, a year 10 student who dreamed of playing for England, was rushed to St Thomas's hospital but he could not be saved.
The ferocious attack was captured on CCTV inside the station and showed the teenager being knocked to the floor and set-upon.
The attacking group, many of whom wore a single glove on their left hand to identify themselves, thought of the station as their territory.
They passed through it on their way to school from their homes in south London each day.
On the previous day, March 24, the two groups of rival teens were seen arguing at the station and one youth was left with a bloody nose.
It acted as the 'direct catalyst' for the pre-arranged meeting which led to Sofyen's death.
The argument, which was thought to be over a girl, had arisen before at a 'rave' the previous Christmas.
Social networking site Facebook was used to recruit troops and weapons, with one of the attackers asking his online friends for a 'flick-up ting' and later asked an older friend to 'buy some nanks (corr) from Argos', referring to a box set of kitchen knives.
Attack: Victoria Osoteku, left, was seen on CCTV kicking Sofyen Belamouadden, right, in the head as he lay dying on the ground. She will be sentenced next week
In four separate conversations between 7pm and 10pm, the youth asked: 'Do you have a flick out nank (knife)?'
He told his friends there was a 'beef' with other youths in west London and someone could get 'slumped' (stabbed).
The messages were found on a laptop seized from the teenager's home by police, after his arrest.
Others, who also communicated by texts, talked about the 'madness' that was going to take place the next day.
They arrived at Victoria on two number 52 buses about 5.14pm.
The rival west London group, including Sofyen, has pulled in two minutes earlier on a 148 bus.
Witnesses said the attacking group had a 'pack mentality, a collective sense of common purpose, as though they were a team' and used an 'indescribable' level of aggression.
Odegbune was seen wielding 'Japanese-style sword' with a blade up to a foot long. He had bragged on Facebook the previous night: 'I will bring my samurai'.
Accomplices (from left to right): Adonis Akra, 18, Samuel Roberts, 19, and Femi Oderinwale, 18, were found guilty of manslaughter and given 12 years detention each
Jailed: Tyrone Richards, 17, (left) and Enoch Amoah, 19 (right) were found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH and were sentenced to seven years detention
He led a 'running charge' at their rivals. As he started to move witnesses heard him threaten: 'I'm going to f*** you up'.
He was on bail at the time of the killing after he was arrested as part of a gang who had been brandishing a similar sword on a bus - though he was never charged.
Witness John Jackson, said he saw one of the attackers pulling a sword from his trousers.
Mr Jackson told jurors: 'He ran, stopped, then produced a sword. He kind of challenged him and shouted "I'm going to f*** you up".
'Then he started running towards him [the victim].'
Odegbune did not attack Sofyen but instead led others who chased the victim's friends away from the station.
Commuter Nuno Filipe Estevao, who was in the ticket hall, said: 'When I saw the boy falling down I saw him being struck while he was trying to get up.
'They surrounded him and kicked him and punched him, a whole crowd of people. I couldn't see much of him, they were all surrounding him.
'It was everyone throwing themselves at this person.'
Horrific: Judge Christopher Moss told the court today that the 'ferocious and merciless attack' took place in front of horrified commuters at Victoria station
Following the attack 12 of the 20 suspects boarded a C10 bus and appeared 'hyper' and 'pumped up' to other passengers.
One of them was overheard telling a friend: 'Didn't you see me run in to the station and shank him?'
Police officers stopped the bus and found a selection of knives as well as blade-sharpening steels and a schoolbag.
Proud: Abdeslam Belamouadden, the father of Sofyen, said his son 'was a star in the making'
Other bloodied knives were found in a knife amnesty bin on Victoria Street.
Before officers boarded, one of the youths ordered a young mum to take hold of a knife, which was covered in a cardboard sheath.
She later took the weapon home, cleaned it and disposed of it but police were able to recover it after she reported the incident.
Sofyen's blood was found on at least three of the recovered knives and one of the sharpening steels.
Odegbune is the only defendant convicted of murder or manslaughter with previous convictions, which include taking a motor vehicle, cannabis possession and theft.
He had also received a reprimand for affray and a police warning for possessing and offensive weapon.
The youths had shown no remorse or acknowledged responsibility for the death, the judge told a packed courtroom.
Sofyen's father, Abdeslan, 51, said of his son: 'He was a star in the making. He was an outstanding all-round player.
'He was born and bred in London and often talked of his ambition to represent England in the World Cup final.'
Mr Belamouadden said in an impact statement that Sofyen's death had devastated his family.
He said: 'I have no wish to inflict revenge on the culprits but Sofyen, whose life was tragically cut short, would expect justice to take its course.
"I often think of the suffering he must have gone through, that he was set upon with such savagery and why I was not there to protect him."
Sofyen's mother Naima's statement said: "I hope the memory of what they did to my son lives with them every day as it lives with me."
Adonis Akra, 18, Samuel Roberts, 19, and Femi Oderinwale, 18, were found guilty of manslaughter and given 12 years detention each.
Victoria Osoteku, 19, the only female charged in connection with the death, was also found guilty of manslaughter and will be sentenced next week.
Tyrone Richards, 17, and Enoch Amoah, 19, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH and were sentenced to seven years detention.
The defendants, all originally from west London, were among 20 pupils charged in connection with the attack.
Four youths were earlier sentenced to two years' detention after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
Three have been cleared of all charges and four others are still to be tried.
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