The FINANCIAL — A youth has been convicted of the murder of a teenage boy in Newham after Met detectives put together a compelling case, incluidng tracing online orders for knives.
Following a five-week trial at the Old Bailey, a jury found the 17-year-old male, who cannot be named for legal reasons, guilty of the murder of 16-year-old Rahaan Ahmed Amin.
The court heard Rahaan was fatally attacked in West Ham Park on 9 July 2023 after the 17-year-old cycled up to him and stabbed him in the chest. Rahaan died in hospital the next day.
Homicide detectives launched an investigation immediately and a long red knife was found in a tree in the park. Forensic testing uncovered the 17-year-old’s fingerprint and Rahaan’s blood.
A number of eye-witnesses were also spoken to and CCTV was collated fto piece together what had happened.
A photograph was also identified on a Snapchat account linked to the 17-year-old that showed a collection of nine knives lined up on a bed. One of those knives was identical in appearance to the knife found in the tree at West Ham Park – and also identical in appearance to a knife ordered on the internet through an online shop, DNA Leisure. on 12 June 2023.
Detectives traced the transaction details of that order, along with two similar orders, which had been placed using the name of the father of one of the 17-year-old’s friends. When the police told the man about these transactions, he had no knowledge of them at all. The last of the three orders for knives had a delivery address the same as the 17-year-old’s.
The 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder two days after Rahaan died in hospital (12 July) and he was charged on 13 July.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen, the lead investigator, said: “Another young life has sadly been lost as the result of knife crime.
“My team of detectives swiftly and diligently uncovered the evidence of the defendant’s guilt. This included forensically linking him to the knife and tracking him to the scene on CCTV.
“The defendant’s claim that he acted in self-defence was completely rejected by the jury. Rahaan was murdered in cold blood after the 17-year-old cycled up to him and stabbed him within seconds of arriving, giving him no opportunity to react.
“This case demonstrates how easy it is for young people to purchase deadly knives online. I would urge all parents to be aware of their child’s online activity and what purchases they are making. It is also important for parents to keep their ID documents secure to ensure they are not misused by their children.”
The youth will be sentenced on 6 September.
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