One of the teenagers who killed a 20-year-old in a fatal knife attack at a Hemsby party was on bail at the time after he was arrested for being in possession of a kitchen knife less than a month before the murder, a court has heard.
Ayomindy Bile, 15, of Howard Street, Great Yarmouth, and Jesse Quaye, 18, of College Court, Crittens Road, Yarmouth, were both sentenced to 15 years in custody at Norwich Crown Court yesterday after a jury found them both guilty in November of the murder of Connor Barrett last May.
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The teenagers, who were also convicted of causing actual bodily harm to another man, Ricky Halliday, who was another guest at the party, were described as being 'heavily into a knife-carrying culture' by Judge Stephen Holt.
The court heard that at the time of the murder Bile, who pleaded guilty to possessing offensive weapons at the start of the trial, was on bail after being arrested for being in possession of an offensive weapon just a month before in Great Yarmouth.
Quaye, who was found guilty of possessing offensive weapons, had one reprimand for threatening behaviour. Amjad Malik QC, prosecuting, said the case highlighted how serious the use of knives 'routinely' by young people in our society can be 'for the purpose of aggressive violence'.
Also sentenced yesterday was a third defendant, Anthony McLean, (pictured left), 41, of Gatacre Road, Great Yarmouth, who was found guilty of helping Quaye to evade justice by driving him to London in the hours after the attack. McLean was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Stephen Spence QC, mitigating for Bile, said it was not 'pre-planned' but a 'moment of madness'. Paul Keleher QC, for Quaye, said there was a lack of intention to kill, a lack of premeditation and a degree of provocation. Lori Tucker, for McLean, said her client was an alcoholic at the time of the offence and is being treated for depression. She said Quaye was a friend of his son's, whom he treated like a son.
The scale of youth crime in Norfolk
Fatal attacks, like the one at the 21st birthday party in Hemsby in May last year, during which Connor Barrett lost his life, are, thankfully, few and far between in Norfolk.
But it is perhaps surprising they are not more frequent judging by figures released by police about the number of incidents they are called to involving youths with knives.
Over the past three years officers have been called to more than 160 incidents in the county where people aged 18 or under have had knives.
Children as young as 10 have been involved in some of the 163 incidents police have released details of following a Freedom of Information request.
Figures show that in 2011 to 2012, a total of 38 people aged 18 or under were charged, including one 11-year-old and three 13-year-olds, with offences ranging from burglary and robbery, to murder.
In 2012 to 2013, 32 young people were charged with knife crimes, including two 13-year-olds and four 15-year-olds, while between 2013 and 2014, 24 young people were charged, including two 12-year-olds.
But Sergeant Tim Horrobin, from the force's Safer Schools Partnership, said: 'Knife crime in Norfolk is not a huge problem. We do have a small number of violent incidents, but a lot of it is about kudos and bragging among peer groups.'
Kate Biles, from Victim Support Norfolk, said while the number of incidents in the county was 'not particularly high' it was 'worrying' there were any.
She said: 'Knife crime is particularly frightening because it can so easily cause serious injury or even death.'
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