Teenager convicted of murder for knife attack on schoolboy

A TEENAGER who got out of a taxi and chased and stabbed a schoolboy to death in broad daylight has been convicted of murder, the Metropolitan Police has said.

The 17-year-old, who was 16 at the time of the attack on May 5, was found guilty by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court, London of murdering Renell Charles.

The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was also convicted of having possession of a bladed article.

Renell, 16, a pupil at Kelmscott School in Walthamstow, east London, was killed shortly after the end of the school day in what police described as a “brutal attack”.

He was sat at a bus stop on Markhouse Road with friends at around 4pm when his killer jumped out a taxi. The police said there was a brief verbal altercation and Renell tried to run away but he was chased down and stabbed twice.

His attacker took deliberate steps to try to evade capture, immediately changing his clothes and swapping SIM cards in his phone, the police said. The teenager stayed in Clapton after the murder to avoid police who went to his home in Newham the following day.

After the verdict, Det Ch Insp Mark Rogers said: “The defendant – just a child himself – subjected Renell to a brutal attack over a minor dispute on a busy road in view of countless witnesses.

“This is yet another example of a willingness by some to carry and use knives to resolve issues with seemingly no care or thought for the consequences.

“The defendant’s attempt to justify his actions as an act of self-defence were contradicted by both CCTV and witnesses, both of which confirmed that he chased Renell before stabbing him. I thank the jury for rightly seeing through his lies.”

He added: “My thoughts today are with Renell’s family and loved ones. Nothing will ease their pain, but I hope it is of some comfort to them that his killer has been brought to justice.”

The 17-year-old will be sentenced at the same court on March 14.