Dad killed by yob, 14, he tried to scare away
A DAD was stabbed to death as he clashed with a 14-year-old who had provoked him “beyond endurance,” the Old Bailey heard yesterday.
James Markham was so fed up with the “obnoxious youth” shouting and swearing outside his home, he picked up a large drill bit and tried to scare him away from the area, jurors were told.
But the boy stabbed Mr Markham three times with an 18-inch weapon, described by a witness as “a really sharp kebab knife”.
The stonemason was helped back to his flat in Chingford, east London, but his left lung had been pierced and he died there. The youth fled but dropped his mobile, which was used to identify him.
The boy was given a criminal behaviour order in January 2021, but breached it five times by being in the area where Mr Markham lived, the court heard, and was there with four friends on the day of the killing in August 2021.
Mr Markham’s family had become “exasperated” by youths “making a nuisance of themselves” near their home. When Mr Markham went outside to smoke, he got into a row with the boy and one of his friends.
Witness Stuart Cole saw two youths “goading” the dad-of-three.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett said: “Provoked beyond endurance, there must have come a point when Jamie Markham wanted to chase this obnoxious youth away.”
He said the dad grabbed the drill bit from his shed and ran at the boy but did not appear to hit him – which was consistent with wanting to “scare” the youth away. But he added: “The defendant produced a knife.” The youth fled after Mr Cole yelled: “That’s enough!”.
The boy, now 15, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murder and says he acted in selfdefence. The trial continues.