Law Weblog

Many defendants to be charged with murder of Sofyen

Sunday 28 March 2010 at 10:42 pm | In News | Post Comment Sofyen Belamouadden was stabbed repeatedly during what is believed to have been a pre-planned fight between rival school gangs armed with knives on Thursday afternoon at Victoria station.

Police are to bring charges against up to a dozen boys in relation to Sofyen’s death. If they go to trial it will be the most defendants ever to be tried jointly over a single murder.

Twenty boys have been arrested.

Group members who encourage others to kill can be convicted of murder even if they do no more than encourage.

In 2007 five teenagers were convicted of the murder of 16-year-old Kodjo Yenga – who went to the same west London school as Sofyen.

The Telegraph claims that recent statistics showed that of 48 murders due to be tried at the Old Bailey, eight involved at least four defendants.