Teenager guilty of drugs gang murder faces life behind bars

An 18-year-old is facing being detained for life after being convicted of the brutal drugs war murder of a rival.

Osita Alagbaoso, of Hoppers Way, Ashford, was found guilty by a jury after four days of deliberations.

But they acquitted his friend Joseph Matimba, of Arlington, of murder and wounding with intent – and he will be sentenced later for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The killing happened in Brookfield Road after the prosecution told how “gang warfare” had spilled onto the streets of Ashford last year.

Victim Jaydon McFarlane, 19, had been struck through the chest with a knife as rival gangs in the town traded insults and threats.

Prosecutor Richard Barraclough QC told Maidstone Crown Court: “This was gang warfare on the streets of Ashford.

“It started with a stabbing on January 25 last year... and ended in the stabbing to death of Mr McFarlane on March 14.”

Alagbaoso and Matimba had both denied murder in March last year.

The prosecutor said Mr McFarlane’s killing was “a planned

orchestrated revenge stabbing” after the rival gangs Kblock and NPB (No Plan B) exchanged threats.

The incident began with the stabbing of a teenager in January last year by Alagbaoso, who used a 14-inch blade to inflict a leg wound on his victim.

He claimed the three “used to be friends” but fell out after an allegation Matimba used fake £20 notes to buy drugs.

The jury was told that the falling out led to a man, Kaseem Ibrahim, being stabbed in the Memorial Gardens while sitting on a park bench with two friends.

Ten days later, there was a confrontation in the County Square shopping centre when members of the rival groups reportedly chased each other with knives, sparking a police helicopter response.

Further messages were exchanged between the two groups before Mr McFarlane was confronted as he carried out a drugs deal in Clockhouse.

Alagbaoso, who was armed with two knives including a Rambo-style weapon, was walking in the area.

The prosecutor said: “It was at 12.25pm that Alagbaoso saw McFarlane and ran towards him.

“McFarlane fell to the ground and Alagbaoso stabbed him twice.

“The knife broke leaving the blade caught up in McFarlane’s clothing and the handle fell to the ground.

“McFarlane managed to get up and ran away towards Clockhouse, pursued by Alagbaoso, who was carrying a Rambo-style knife.”

The prosecutor added that Alagbaoso chased him into a small residents’ car park where he produced the Rambo knife but put it away after he was spotted by someone in a car.

An hour later Mr McFarlane died after one of the knife wounds had gone through his chest cavity, cutting the edge of the spine and rib before entering the left lung.

The prosecutor claimed that four minutes after the killing Alabaoso was caught on CCTV cameras heading to Victoria Park and then onto KFC.

Later Hassan Tejan, 25, of Crownfield Road, collected him and drove him to Canterbury. He was convicted of perverting the course of justice by lying to police.

Police found fragments of the knife used at the scene of the attack and two knives beneath Victoria Road bridge.

Alagbaodo will be sentenced in August after the preparation of reports. He was remanded in custody.

The other two will also be sentenced later.

Trial judge Judge David Griffith-Jones QC praised the jury.

Victim Jaydon McFarlane, 19, had been struck through the chest with a knife as rival gangs in the town traded insults and threats

Flowers left at the scene in South Ashford in March last year; following the attack, a tree off Brookfield Road became covered in tributes

Osita Alagbaoso was found guilty last week