Teenage boy guilty of murder over Luton stabbing

A teenager who fatally stabbed another teenager to death in Luton has been convicted of his murder.

The 17-year-old boy was today (Monday) found guilty of murder for his role in the fatal stabbing of 19-year-old Derrick Kinyua in April.

On the day of the incident, police received reports from paramedics that a man had been stabbed and was believed to have collapsed at the junction of Hucklesby Way, Hitchin Road and Crescent Road.

The victim, who was later formally identified as Mr Kinyua, was treated by emergency services at the scene and transported to hospital but pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The police investigation established that four people confronted Mr Kinyua outside the address he was staying at in Crescent Road.

Two of those, including the 17-year-old boy, were seen on CCTV carrying large knives and lunging at Mr Kinyua, inflicting several stab wounds in the process.

Mr Kinyua was able to make his way onto the main road before collapsing, where he was found.

A post-mortem gave the cause of death as stab wounds to both the neck and chest.

The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit launched a murder investigation following the incident.

The 17-year-old boy was arrested around a week later. The other attacker armed with a knife is believed to have fled the country hours after the stabbing.

The two others who were at the scene, Malcolm Mangawa, 23, of Verde Close, Luton, and Shakeel Morton, 20, of Upwell Road, Luton, were found not guilty of murder at Luton Crown Court.

Sentencing is due to take place later this month.

Detective Inspector Iain MacPherson, of the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, who led the investigation, said: “This was an incredibly violent, calculated, and abhorrent crime, which has not only seen a young man lose his life, but left another teenager facing life behind bars.

“The incident that led to Mr Kinyua’s death affected the local community and partner agencies in many ways.

“Knife crime remains an area of concern and priority across the country, but more locally we have all too recently seen mindless violence claim another young life in Luton.

“I am pleased that our investigation has resulted in a conviction and hope this serves as a warning and reiteration of our zero-tolerance towards knife crime and violence of any kind.”

View more information about knife crime in Bedfordshire.