Mother and son guilty of killing teenager with machete
The south London attack lasted just 30 seconds.
A mother and her teenage son have been found guilty of killing a 17-year-old boy after a machete attack in south London.
Tyreese Ulysses, 19, gathered a group armed with knives after learning that Levi Ernest-Morrison and his friends had been knocking on his mother Nichola Leighton’s door looking for him, the Old Bailey was told.
The group jumped out of Leighton’s ‘distinctive’ red Suzuki 4×4 jeep and chased Levi and one of his friends during the incident earlier this year.
Jurors heard that Levi was caught and fatally stabbed in Sydenham on the evening of April 10.
Two youths, aged 16 and 17, who had admitted having weapons, were unanimously convicted of murder.
But the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict on murder charge for another youth, aged 15.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones QC said the attack lasted just 30 seconds before the group sprinted back to the waiting car, driven by Leighton, which then sped away.
Leighton, 36, admitted driving the boys to the scene but denied being aware they were armed, while her son claimed they only wanted to scare off the gang.
The Sydenham mother was found guilty of murder and having an offensive weapon.
Ulysses, from Catford, south London, admitted having a weapon, and was cleared of murder.
However, he was convicted of manslaughter by a majority of 10 to two, after a jury deliberated for more than 40 hours.
Mr Jones said: ‘That evening, when Levi and the others came knocking on her door, Nichola Leighton was furious.
‘She rang the police about it and told the police that if the boys came back, she was going to batter them.
‘But before she had phoned the police, she contacted with her son Tyreese Ulysses.
‘The prosecution say that having heard from his mum that Levi and his friends had come round to his mum’s house and were bothering her, he then rallied the troops.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE : ‘Restaurant owner’ stabbed to death in front of horrified London diners