Teenager cleared of any part in murder

TWO men have been given life sentences for the murder of a 16-year-old – while a Leicestershire man has been cleared of any involvement.

After a six-week trial, Frank Kenfack and Abdi Hussein Abdi were convicted of the murder in Coventry of 16-year-old Jaydon James.

Kenfack, 18, of no fixed abode, and Abdi, 21, of Rock Close, Bell Green, were sentenced to life imprisonment with Kenfack to serve a minimum of 17 years and Abdi at least 21 years.

Both were also found guilty of two counts of wounding with intent against two of Jaydon’s friends and were given shorter concurrent sentences.

Bonganu Ngozi, 18, from Hinckley, was acquitted of all charges earlier in the trial.

Police said James was a victim of a Coventry postcode war and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time as he was stabbed to death while out with friends on November 24, 2018.

Wood End is home to a Coventry gang, which has a long-standing feud with another city centre-based gang that has resulted in several incidents of serious violence.

Jaydon and his friends had gone to a bowling alley and CCTV later showed them in Hillmorton Road, where a black Peugeot car suddenly pulled up. The occupants of the car got out and chased after the group.

Jaydon ran down a driveway by a church, where his killers caught up with him and stabbed him in the back.

He managed to stagger to the church’s rear car park, where his friends found him, two of whom had also received stab wounds to their legs.

All three were helped by a member of the public until emergency services arrived, but in spite of their best efforts, Jaydon died from his injuries.

Some weeks before his death, Jaydon had confided in his mother that he feared gang members were out to assault him. Days later he was punched and robbed.

Det Insp Stuart Mobberley said: “This was a young boy, just 11 days after his 16th birthday, whose life was so cruelly taken away.

“There are no words I can say to comfort his mother and his wider family, but I hope this conviction can go some way to help them come to terms with his death.

“I don’t believe that Jaydon was targeted, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”