Teenagers who hunted down and tried to murder boy in Hemlington jailed
A 17-year-old-boy was stabbed with a machete in the attack
Four teenagers who chased a 17-year-old boy before stabbing him up to 16 times with a machete have been jailed.
They immediately fled the area leaving the boy gravely injured in the street in the early hours of Wednesday 30th April.
Last December Tyler Bradley and Wayne Boyd were found guilty of attempted murder and Leon Keenan and Kaya Azhar were found guilty of section 18 grievous bodily harm following a two-week trial at Teesside Crown Court.
Ebony Watt, aged 19, from Skinningrove was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
Returning to Teesside Crown Court on Friday 27 February they were sentenced to the following:
- Tyler Bradley, aged 18, of Dallas Court in Middlesbrough was sentenced to 14 years plus three years on extended licence
- Wayne Boyd, aged 19, of Enderby Gardens in Middlesbrough was sentenced to 13 years plus three years on extended licence
- Leon Keenan, aged 18, of Arrandale in Middlesbrough was sentenced to four years and four months
- Kaya Azhar, aged 18, of Scanbeck Drive in Marske was sentenced to four years
- Ebony Watt, aged 19 from Skinningrove was sentenced to a community order
The court heard how the boy had arrived in Hemlington by bus shortly after 2.30pm on Tuesday 29 April.
During this time, he had met with Watt while in company with another teenager.
Contact between Boyd, aged 19, and Watt began from 11.20pm and later Azhar, aged 18, aware that the boy was in the area.
At 12.15am a chase began between Boyd, Bradley and Keenan, both aged 18, who left Fonteyn Court on a bike and travelled along Cass House Road in the direction of Corbridge Close and Cramlington Close.
Azhar arrived on an electric scooter where footage appeared to show him encircling the boy, which led him to leap from a balcony in a desperate attempt to flee the men and avoid violence.
Further footage played to the jury, showed the boy jumping over garden fences, being chased around a car park and a small, wooded area.
However, they caught up with him and with force struck with the machete, causing injuries to his head and most of his body.
Residents nearby heard his screams causing them to shout out to his attackers to stop.
Despite sustaining significant injuries, he managed to drag himself on to Hemlington Hall Road and over a fence into the Phoenix Park estate where residents came to his aid before emergency services arrived.
His attackers began communicating heavily by mobile phone immediately after the attack.
Azhar was instructed to get rid of the weapon by concealing it in Watt’s garden and visited her home within minutes of the attack taking place.
Bradley, Boyd and Watt all repeatedly calling each other as they scrambled in panic, the court heard.
In one text message, Bradley said the police ‘drones’ were up and that he was going to ‘jail’ prompting him to turn off his mobile phone. Shortly after 3.30am he later messaged that he was ‘sound’ and in a ‘good little spot’ with Boyd and posted a video online of him in a hotel on Acklam Road in Middlesbrough.Watt meanwhile was warning Azhar that the police were on their way.
An investigation began by Cleveland Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET) which focused on a manhunt for the attackers.
Detective Sergeant Andy Hamilton, from HMET, said:
“These men had one thing on their minds when they hunted down and pursued the boy, and that was to use such force and violence that would inflict horrific injuries upon him.
“Immediately after their attack they fled the area, leaving him in the street fighting for his life. Their only focus was to avoid police detection, to get away as quickly as possible and dispose of evidence along the way. However, they displayed nothing more than panic as they frantically called and messaged each other, ultimately knowing that they would be caught and would have to face the consequences. This was despite the assistance of Watt doing her best to come to their aid to try to hinder the police investigation.
“We had a dedicated investigation team who produced a strong case with overwhelming evidence to prove their involvement. This included the CCTV footage highlighting their distinctive clothing and footwear, as well as evidencing their access to deadly weapons and local knowledge of the area, which resulted in the jury reaching guilty verdicts and now facing lengthy custodial sentences.
“I must recognise and give thanks to the local residents and emergency services who came to the boy’s swift aid. This no doubt gave him the best chance of survival. Without that quick medical intervention, it is very possible that the outcome could have been so much worse.
“It does sadly highlight just how dangerous these weapons are and the serious harm, violence and consequences that come with it. Let these sentences be a warning to anyone who carries or uses a knife.”