Seventeen year-old Kelvin Chibueze was stabbed to death in a gang-related attack in Ilford, east London.

Kelvin was chased from a private party at The Arteflex Club on the High Road at around 4am on Monday, 15 August 2011.

The teenager, from Croydon, was found with stab wounds to the chest in the car park next to Lidl and Fitness First.

Kelvin, known as Boss Don Gramz, died in hospital at 1pm.

The same day, Prime Minister David Cameron made a speech calling for a ‘concerted, all-out war on gangs and gang culture.’

Eight suspects were charged with murder beginning with Dale Williams, 19 [12/11/91], of Hart’s Lane, Barking, on August 24. The others were Lerone Boye, 24 [23/3/87], of Henley Road, Ilford, Roger Damali, 30 [30/05/81], of Macauley Road, East Ham, Joel Asare-Minta, 21 [02/08/90] of of Halbutt Street, Dagenham, Diphy Menga, 23 [19/06/88] of St Mary’s Road, Ilford, Ibrahim Zakari, 20 [30/10/91] of St Margaret’s, Barking, Kongolo Kongola, 29 [3/1/82] of Sewell Street, Plaistow, east London, and Hugo Nwankwo, 17 [14/11/94], of Park Avenue, East Ham.

The prosecution case was that several of the group were linked to the ‘Hart’s Lane Gang’ from Barking while the victim was associated with the rival ‘DAG’ gang from Dagenham. The same gangs had previously clashed in Beckton in February 2010, resulting in the death of Olukorede Fajinmi.

They went on trial at the Old Bailey on 5 September 2012. Jurors heard that tensions arose between the two rival groups ‘eyeballing’ each other at the party, possibly as a result of a petty squabble about a girl.

‘One group went into the rear garden to smoke a couple of times and whenever they returned things appear to get either tenser or the atmosphere a little more strained,’ said prosecutor Richard Whittam QC.

‘There was some recognition between some of the people present as to whether they knew them or the areas they came from.’

Jurors heard the victim suffered at least one stab wound in the club before being chased outside by men armed with knives, champagne and Hennessy bottles and a bar stool. He suffered a further five or six stab wounds after collapsing in Ilford Retail Park across the High Road.

A knife stained with the victim’s blood was found in Riches Road, not far from where Williams was stopped and arrested. CCTV evidence linked several of the suspects to the club and the car park. Detectives also claimed phone contact between the suspects in the minutes leading up to the attack inside the club suggested it was premeditated.

Half-way through the trial Kongola was cleared of murder and violent disorder on the judge’s direction due to lack of evidence.

On 22 November 2012 the jury convicted Boye, Williams, Damali and Nwankwo of murder and violent disorder. Zakari, who is deaf, was cleared of murder but convicted of violent disorder and jailed for two years.

Asare-Minta and Menga were both cleared of murder and violent disorder.

Killers Lerone Boye (left) and Dale Williams

Boye, Williams, Damali and Nwankwo were all sentenced on December 20. Boye was jailed for at least 28 years before parole, Williams at least 26 years, Damali at least 23 years and Nwankwo at least 16 years.

Judge John Bevan QC said: “The veil of silence that has fallen over the main participants in this case speaks volumes as to the cowardice and moral bankruptcy of those on both sides of this argument.

“Carrying knives, at least three on each side, is a comparatively modern phenomenon, which is approaching an endemic state among feckless, aimless youths who think nothing of wielding and using of knives in the face of the slightest provocation or perceived insult.

“We are still none the wiser as to the cause, and whether of not it has to do with gang violence.

“Whether there was rivalry, whether there was loyalty, whether it was revenge for a previous incident, I don’t know.”

Detective Sergeant Mark Romain of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: “Kelvin Chibueze was ruthlessly attacked, chased and left to die in the early hours of 15 August. The violence used brutally ended a young man’s life and showed scant regard for the safety of others in this busy venue.

“I would like to thank everyone who came forward to assist with this investigation and helped convict these violent thugs.”

Killers Hugo Nwankwo (left) and Roger Damali

On 16 October 2013, Boye absconded from a mental health unit, the John Howard Centre in Homerton, east London.

Detectives offered a £15,000 reward for information and issued a description. Boye was captured in a pre-planned operation in Chigwell on 21 January 2014. He was found hiding under a bed and told officers it was the ‘best three months of my life’.

Source: murdermap.co.uk