Four gang members are facing life in prison after being found guilty of murdering teenager Marcel Addai in a ferocious knife attack.
A scuffle broke out in the dock and cries could be heard from the public gallery as the verdict was read out at the Old Bailey this afternoon.
Mr Addai, 17, was chased and stabbed 12 times in St John’s Estate, Pitfield Street, Hoxton, on September 4 last year.
The attack took place just yards from his home in of Wenlock House, Evelyn Walk.
Mr Addai was a member of the Hoxton Boys gang, who were embroiled in a fierce rivalry with the Fellows Court gang, of which six of the defendants were members.
Rikell Rogers, 22, of Goldney Road, Maida Vale; Sodiq Adebayo, 23, of De Vere Gardens, Ilford and Sheku Jalloh, 23, of Crondall Court, St John’s Estate were found guilty by a jury’s majority verdict of 11-1.
Momar Faye, 18, of no fixed address, was found guilty by a majority verdict of 10-2.
A scuffle broke out between defendants as they were led away. They had blamed each other for the murder throughout the nine-week trial, during which they were separated by security guards.
Screams were heard from the public gallery as Faye’s verdict was announced, and he was heard shouting “I’m an innocent man”.
“You’ve thrown my life away,” he shouted at the jury.
Akeem Gbadamosi, 22, of Detmold Road, Clapton; David Oladimeji, 21, of Axon Place, Ilford and Eugene Ocran, 19, of Fermain Court West, De Beauvoir Road were found not guilty.
The gang of seven had travelled to the estate in three cars from Oladimeji’s Ilford home before attacking Mr Addai and his friends, who had thrown a bottle in their direction.
Mr Addai tried to run away but was seen by a number of witnesses to fall to the ground before being kicked, punched and stabbed.
The men were identified by officers and arrested within a matter of days of the stabbing. They all gave ‘no comment’ interviews to police but were charged with murder a short time later.
Det Ch Insp Andy Partridge, of the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “This was a targeted attack that required a level of planning.
“Those convicted travelled to the estate where Marcel lived with the clear intention of inflicting serious injuries to anyone who was present. I want to praise those witnesses who had the courage to stand up and come forward with information in this case, it demonstrates that communities will not accept these violent attacks taking place.
“This senseless violence has taken another young life and left a family devastated. Those convicted are now facing many years in prison.”
Rogers, Adebayo, Jalloh and Faye will be sentenced on Tuesday.
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