08/07/2009
'Honey Trap' Teen Guilty Of Shakilus Murder
A teenage girl who lured a 16-year-old boy to his death in a "honey trap", has today been found guilty of murder.
Samantha Joseph, aged 16, and her boyfriend both face life in prison for killing Shakilus Townsend, 16, who was stabbed by members of a gang in Thornton Heath, south London.
Joseph admitted persuading the teenager to go to the flats, however, said she only thought he was going to be beaten up and didn't realise he would get seriously hurt.
The victim bled to death after being beaten with baseball bats and stabbed six times in a "relentless and merciless attack".
Her boyfriend Danny McLean, aged 18, was also convicted of murder by the Old Bailey jury.
Brothers Tyrell Ellis, 19 and Don-Carlos Ellis, 18, from Thornton Heath, were also convicted of murder, alongside 19-year-old Andrew Johnson-Haynes, from Croydon.
Two other youths, aged 17, were found guilty of the charge as well.
They will be sentenced at a later date.
Brian Altman, QC, prosecuting, said Shakilus had been seeing the girl for six weeks.
He told the jury: "Shakilus had described her to his mother as 'beautiful' and he said to her that he was in love with her, he was even saying to his mother that he wanted to marry her, that she was his future wife."
On 3 July 2008, Jospeh lured Shakilus to a cul-de-sac so he could be ambushed by the gang, Mr Altman said.
He thought they were on their way to meet her cousin but she "played her part to perfection", the prosecution said, luring him to the ambush while secretly keeping in touch with McLean by mobile phone.
The girl, who was 15 at the time, laughed as Shakilus's attackers caught him and rained down blows with fists, feet and baseball bats before she turned and walked away.
McLean plunged a knife into Shakilus's chest, which was "raked" across his liver before twisting the blade.
The Old Bailey heard Shakilus, from Deptford, south east London, called out for his mother as he lay dying, saying: "I don't want to die".
(JM/BMcC)
Samantha Joseph, aged 16, and her boyfriend both face life in prison for killing Shakilus Townsend, 16, who was stabbed by members of a gang in Thornton Heath, south London.
Joseph admitted persuading the teenager to go to the flats, however, said she only thought he was going to be beaten up and didn't realise he would get seriously hurt.
The victim bled to death after being beaten with baseball bats and stabbed six times in a "relentless and merciless attack".
Her boyfriend Danny McLean, aged 18, was also convicted of murder by the Old Bailey jury.
Brothers Tyrell Ellis, 19 and Don-Carlos Ellis, 18, from Thornton Heath, were also convicted of murder, alongside 19-year-old Andrew Johnson-Haynes, from Croydon.
Two other youths, aged 17, were found guilty of the charge as well.
They will be sentenced at a later date.
Brian Altman, QC, prosecuting, said Shakilus had been seeing the girl for six weeks.
He told the jury: "Shakilus had described her to his mother as 'beautiful' and he said to her that he was in love with her, he was even saying to his mother that he wanted to marry her, that she was his future wife."
On 3 July 2008, Jospeh lured Shakilus to a cul-de-sac so he could be ambushed by the gang, Mr Altman said.
He thought they were on their way to meet her cousin but she "played her part to perfection", the prosecution said, luring him to the ambush while secretly keeping in touch with McLean by mobile phone.
The girl, who was 15 at the time, laughed as Shakilus's attackers caught him and rained down blows with fists, feet and baseball bats before she turned and walked away.
McLean plunged a knife into Shakilus's chest, which was "raked" across his liver before twisting the blade.
The Old Bailey heard Shakilus, from Deptford, south east London, called out for his mother as he lay dying, saying: "I don't want to die".
(JM/BMcC)
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