A London teenager has been convicted of murder after chasing and stabbing a schoolboy in a “brutal attack”, the Metropolitan police announced on Friday.
The 17-year-old, who was 16 at the time of the attack on 5 May, was found guilty by a jury at Snaresbrook crown court in London of murdering 16-year-old Renell Charles. He was also found guilty of possession of a bladed article.
Renell, a pupil at Kelmscott school in Walthamstow, east London, was killed shortly after the end of the school day at a busy bus stop on Markhouse Road.
The incident involved a brief verbal altercation before the attacker chased down Renell and stabbed him. Despite trying to run and then get up, Renell collapsed and later died from his injuries.
The police stated that the attacker took deliberate steps to evade capture, changing his clothes and swapping sim cards. He stayed in Clapton after the murder to avoid police, but was eventually arrested on suspicion of murder and charged.
After initially remaining silent during police interviews, the attacker later claimed self-defense, which was contradicted by CCTV and witness evidence. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on 14 March.
DCI Mark Rogers expressed that Renell’s attacker had subjected him to a “brutal attack” over a minor dispute and thanked the jury for “rightly seeing through his lies”. He also extended his thoughts to Renell’s family and loved ones, acknowledging that nothing will ease their pain, but hoped it brings some comfort that the killer has been brought to justice.