Gang members stabbed one of their own to death during frenzied attack on rival | UK News

A group of teenagers who stabbed one of their own gang members to death as they murdered another boy are facing life sentences.

Charlie Bartolo, 16, was rammed off his motorbike by a car before five killers jumped out and stabbed him repeatedly in Sewell Road, Abbey Wood, southeast London on 26 November 2022.

One of the attackers, 16-year-old Kearne Solanke, was accidentally knifed in the shoulder by his friend during the attack before he was abandoned by his friends and left to die.

His accomplices who drove him a mile away to Thamesmead where they dumped the car with their friend inside.

The two 16-year-olds were reported dead in separate 999 calls within six minutes of each other.

The killers were members of Thamesmead’s T-Block gang involved in a postcode feud with rivals from Abbey Wood.

Alagie Jobe and Hussain Bah, both 19, and two teenagers, aged 17 and 16, were found guilty of murdering both boys.

Jobe had been driving the Nissan on the day of the murder but he insisted he knew nothing about the impact with Charlie’s bike until his friends told him about it.

Bah, who was still in bed when he was arrested, said: ‘I was not even there’.

Bah and Jobe will be sentenced on 7 February.

Two unnamed teenagers were also found guilty of murder and will be sentenced on 22 February.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, KC, told earlier how the emergency services were called to Sewell Road at 5.05pm after Charlie was attacked.

‘Charlie was found to have suffered multiple stab wounds, including a large stab wound to his head.

‘He was taken from the scene to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, but despite the best efforts of emergency medical staff, Charlie died from his injuries at 6.24pm.

‘At 5.11pm, so just six minutes after the 999 call had been made in respect of Charlie Bartolo, another 999 call was made, and another ambulance was requested.

‘This time the call was to attend Titmuss Avenue, in Thamesmead, only about one mile away from where Charlie Bartolo had been found.

‘This 16-year-old was named Kearne Solanke. Kearne had been stabbed in the shoulder, causing a deep wound so serious that there wasn’t time even to get him to hospital.’

Witness Tarina Brooks had told the court she was at home in Titmuss Avenue, when she heard ‘shouting and a girl screaming’ and ran out to find Kearne bleeding.

‘He was trying to get up. With all my might I tried to push him down trying to stem the bleeding.

‘In the end he just gave in and lay there.’

She added that when she and another neighbour examined the wound they found it was two inches ‘downwards’.

Asked if Kearne said anything to her Mr Brooks replied: ‘Yes. He said “It’s ok mum, I’ll be ok.”‘

Ms Brooks added: ‘I think he thought I was his mum. I was saying to stay with us, stay with us and talk to me.’

Mr Emlyn Jones said: ‘CCTV shows a motorbike being deliberately rammed off the road by a car, and the bike rider being thrown into the air and landing in a heap on the pavement.

‘It is very obviously a deliberate collision, caused by the driver of the car. The rider of the moped was Charlie Bartolo.

‘No sooner had the car hit him and knocked him off his bike, the car stopped next to him, and its occupants all got out. Three of them attacked Charlie Bartolo as he lay on the ground.

‘The CCTV shows that all three of them used large knives to stab and strike Charlie as he lay helpless on the ground.

‘The two who got out of the driver’s side did not physically participate in the violence – although it looks as if the driver was armed with yet another knife, and then moved around the front of the car as if to go and join in.

‘It turned out he wasn’t needed – the three on the passenger side had already done what the group set out to do.

Speaking about Solanke’s muder, Mr Emlyn Jones said he got in the car with his friend’s after he was accidentally stabbed.

‘Kearne was one of the three who jumped out of the passenger side of the car, and attacked Charlie Bartolo.

‘But during the violence, one of his own team – in fact, it was the 16-year-old – during their joint attack on Charlie Bartolo, he stabbed his own friend Kearne Solanke.

‘There’s no reason to think he had planned to stab Kearne- but in the confusion and the chaos of the moment – no doubt I’m afraid in the excitement – his knife found the wrong target.

‘But given the nature of the injury Kearne had suffered, it cannot have been long before they all realised what had happened, and that something was dreadfully wrong with Kearne, sitting in the back of the car as they drove away from the scene of what they must at first have thought had been their successful attack on Charlie Bartolo, their targeted victim.’

Mr Emlyn Jones said the killers drove back to safe territory abandoned the car and dumped Kearne.

But the 17-year-old got out of the car and went back to him.

In a 999 call played in court he said: ‘Someone’s been stabbed bro, please hurry up, ambulance we don’t need police please, he’s losing a lot of blood.

‘He’s struggling to breathe, please, please quick, he’s losing a lot of blood from his shoulder.

‘His name is Kearne. He’s breathing, he’s alright, he’s just got an open wound.

‘You’re good boy, you’re good, just don’t think about it, you have to keep your eyes open, I’m telling you bro on my Mum’s life. Stay with me please.’

He told the operator: ‘He didn’t say what happened I’ve just seen him on the floor.

‘He’s a friend of mine. We didn’t see anything we just saw him on the side of the road, we just bumped into him. I think it’s a stab wound.’

The 17-year-old then went to a nearby youth club where he was seen on CCTV reenacting the murder, the court heard.

He was seen talking to another boy making stabbing and slashing motions and pointing to his head.

The 17-year-old later admitted to police he had a problem, he had a ‘beef’ with Abbey Wood.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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