Two men have been jailed at the Old Bailey following two serious knife attacks that were committed within the space of an hour

Collins Adesoji, 20, (26.01.98) of Listowel Close, SW9 was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment on Tuesday, 27 March having been convicted of conspiracy to commit assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Bujwawne Brooks, 19 (08.04.98) of Lakeview Road, SE27 was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment at the same hearing having been convicted of the same offences.

They had previously been found guilty on 8 December 2017.

The two incidents happened on the afternoon of 27 December 2016.

In the first attack, a boy – aged 16 at the time – was stabbed near to Oval Underground Station at around 17:00hrs. He was taken to hospital for treatment to his injury.

It has never been established who inflicted the stab injury or the exact location of the incident. However, a police investigation found that both Adesoji and Brooks had been among a group of males who had been involved in an altercation with the victim and three of his associates during which the teenager was stabbed.

It is believed that this attack was associated with the defendants’ gang activities.

Adesoji drove away from the scene in a Ford Focus, which also contained Brooks and at least one other passenger.

Around 45 minutes later, Adesoji and Brooks were in the same Ford Focus on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton when they confronted two boys who had been with the victim of the earlier stabbing.

They followed the boys in the Ford Focus to Windrush Square, where a funfair, busy with families and children, was operating.

The Ford Focus mounted the pavement and collided with an 18-year-old man sitting on his bicycle who had not been involved in the earlier incidents.

The man was knocked off his bicycle before being attacked by one of the occupants of the Ford Focus, who stabbed him in the thigh whilst he was on the ground trying to fend off the blows. The identity of the man who carried out the stabbing has not been established; however the court heard that Adesoji and Brooks were two of the three occupants of the car.

They attempted to make off in the vehicle by reversing down Rushcroft Road, but due to the damage sustained in the collision, they abandoned it and made off on foot.

The victim’s femoral artery was severed – an injury which is often fatal – but a doctor passing by the scene administered life-saving first aid by using her scarf as a tourniquet to stem the flow of blood. She was also helped by members of the public until police and an ambulance arrived at the scene.

The Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command launched an investigation, and linked the two incidents.

The abandoned vehicle was linked to Adesoji, and forensic evidence from the car and phone evidence linked Brooks to the offences.

Adesoji was arrested on 30 December 2016. Brooks was arrested on 6 June 2017.

These men went out that day intent on committing serious violence on, possibly rival gang members, the reasons for which are still unclear.

Detective Constable Patrick White who led the investigation said: “The actions of Adesoji and Brooks resulted in a young teenager being stabbed in Kennington and a violent attack on a young man in Brixton at a funfair.

“They used an extreme level of violence and showed a total disregard for families and children who were at the funfair.

“We will not allow these kind of community events to be used by gangs for criminal purposes.

“This type of violence will not be tolerated on the streets of London, and we have worked tirelessly to bring these types of violent offenders to justice.

“Anyone with information about those involved in gang activity and violence can call police via 101. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through their website.”

The Home Office has today launched a new advertising campaign to reduce knife crime among young people.

By using real-life stories of young people who made the decision not to carry knives, the #knifefree campaign aims to highlight the consequences of carrying a knife and to inspire young people to pursue positive alternatives.

Serious Violence Strategy

The campaign forms part of the government’s forthcoming Serious Violence Strategy, which will set out action to tackle serious violence by placing new emphasis on steering young people away from crime while continuing to promote the strongest possible law enforcement approach.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:

The emotional stories at the heart of the new Knife Free campaign bring home in powerful fashion just what a far-reaching impact it can have on a young person’s life if they make the misguided decision to carry a knife.

I hope any young person who is seriously thinking about carrying a knife listens to what the implications can be and realises what options are available if they choose to live knife free.

Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability Victoria Atkins said:

This powerful new campaign will highlight the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and challenge the idea that young people are safer if they carry one.

The £1.35 million campaign will use advertising on social media (Snapchat, Twitter) and digital channels (TV on demand, Spotify) to target 10 to 21 year olds who use these platforms. A poster campaign will also be displayed in English cities where knife crime is more prevalent.

Real-life stories

The adverts feature real-life case studies who have turned their lives around after deciding to go knife free. They are based on new research commissioned for the campaign which found that showing real-life stories of young people talking about their experiences with knives resonated with the target audience.

The adverts point young people to a dedicated #knifefree website which provides advice, signposts support services and highlights activities to empower young people to change their behaviour.

Backing

When developing the campaign, the Home Office worked closely with a range of charities and knife crime victims’ families to ensure their insights and expertise were reflected.

John Poyton, chief executive of Redthread, said:

It’s incredibly important to make sure young people understand that violence and knife crime should not be normal.

I’m really pleased that the new campaign puts young people and their stories at the forefront of its message, and highlights the positive choices they can make to live knife free.

We know that policing is only one part of the solution and tackling this issue requires a public health approach and everyone in our communities working together.

Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said:

It is vitally important that we help young people understand the dangers associated with carrying a knife. A knife won’t protect you, it doesn’t give you status; harming or stabbing someone isn’t a trivial act.

We need to do more to help young people understand that carrying a knife doesn’t solve anything, in fact all it does is increase the likelihood that you will be imprisoned, seriously injured or murdered.

Introducing young people to the life stories of others who have faced the same challenges but have chosen to live knife free is a powerful way to help them make more positive choices. That is why the Ben Kinsella Trust fully supports the live knife free campaign.

Evan Jones, Head of Community Services at St Giles Trust, said:

St Giles Trust wholeheartedly backs this campaign. Our staff see the effects of knife crime every day – from convictions for carrying a knife that can blight a career all the way through to meeting a young person who has suffered life-changing injuries as a result of an assault by a rival gang.

Our staff work tirelessly to persuade young people there are safe alternatives to carrying a knife and that there are positive alternatives to gangs and criminality. They work on the streets, in gangs units, in schools, in regional towns and in hospitals, using their life experience to engage and support young people to make the changes that will keep them safe.

The knife crime media campaign forms part of a wide range of measures underway to tackle knife crime. In February the Home Office announced a new round of the knife crime community fund and increased the money available to charities to £1million.

The government has also consulted on new laws on offensive and dangerous weapons, including banning online stores from delivering knives to residential addresses and making it an offence to possess certain weapons in private.

The advertising campaign is planned to run for 6 weeks.

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a young man who died in a knife attack outside a children’s nursery.

The teenager, who cannot be named for or identified legal reasons, is the second person to be charged after Tyrone Farquharson, 19, was charged on Wednesday (March 7) with murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

Kelva Smith was found collapsed in a south London street with multiple stab wounds at around 5pm on Monday.

Police officers and paramedics battled to save the 20-year-old, who had been walking with his cousin, but he was pronounced dead at the scene in Albert Road, South Norwood.

Scotland Yard said a 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder, possession of an offensive weapon and attempted wounding.

He will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Farquharson of Archer Road, South Norwood, had also appeared in court charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

A third youth, 15-year-old boy, was arrested and bailed.

Mr Smith is the 12th victim under the age of 25 to be murdered in the capital in 2018.