14-year-old killer ‘was trying to impress peers’
Police: Murder of teen may just have been act of bravado
A14-YEAR-OLD who blasted a fellow schoolboy in the stomach may have been trying to impress older peers, police think.
Keon Lincoln suffered fatal injuries in a 40-second attack by five thugs outside his home on Linwood Road, Handsworth, on January 21.
The 15-year-old was fatally shot in the stomach and the group continued to stab him with knives.
No motive was pinpointed by West Midlands Police and detectives believe Keon may have been “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
The 14-year-old killer from Birmingham, and a 16-year-old boy from Walsall, were found guilty of murder.
Two 18-year-olds – Tahjgeem Breakenridge, from Balsall Heath, and Michael Ugochukwu, from Edgbaston, were also convicted of murder.
Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Jim Colclough said the 14-year-old convicted killer, who cannot be named, may have had an “influence on his life”.
“As investigators we all have children of our own, and children of the same age, so to think there is something driving a 14-year-old to use a firearm on another human life is absolutely shocking,” Dect Insp Colclough told the Post.
“There’s clearly an influence on that individual, which has had a massive impact on not only his life, but also Keon’s.
“Is it bravado, trying to impress
older peers? We don’t know the motivation and we haven’t been told anything as to why this has been committed.
“They are a group of friends, who, for whatever reason, have decided on that day to act together to cause Keon, or potentially someone else, real serious harm.
“A group coming together with a common purpose to kill or cause serious harm. Keon should have been in school and doing what
any other 14-year-old should have been doing.”
The 14-year-old killer initially lied to police after claiming he spent part of the day logged on to online school lessons, but records showed he did not attend any lessons after logging on at 8.30am on the fateful day.
He was held a week after the attack and admitted he knew of Keon, but they had never fallen out. Police said finding
an explanation
or motive for the murder had been “really difficult”.
“When you watch the CCTV of it happening it’s like a pack acting together for the one purpose and for a group to come together was a terrible sight to see,” DI Colclough added.
Those responsible have now been brought to justice after a four-weektrial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Kieron Donaldson, aged 18, of Aston Lane, Perry Barr, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.
The 14-year-old was also convicted of possessing a firearm with intent while the 16-year-old, Breakenridge and Ugochukwu were found guilty of possessing a knife.