A sixteen-year-old boy has been jailed for stabbing a man to death at a rave near Millwall’s stadium in Bermondsey last summer.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, got four years and six months in prison after admitting killing Jason Nyarko at the illegal rave on Stockholm Road on June 26, 2021.
The boy pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a bladed article at the Old Bailey on March 25. He was sentenced at the same court today (May 3).
Police still do not know why the boy killed Mr Nyarko. Officers think the two did not know each other before that night – nor have any contact.
Mr Nyarko’s sister said his death had caused “a void” in their family and said the pain of his killing was “heart-breaking”.
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Police were called at around 11.45 on the night in question following reports a man had been stabbed. Mr Nyarko was treated by paramedics but died about quarter past midnight.
Officers used phone footage of the aftermath of the event taken by partygoers. Mr Nyarko’s friends described seeing Jason, known as ‘Jay’ to his friends, ‘collapse to the floor with several stab injuries’.
After stabbing Mr Nyarko, the boy was ‘attacked by a group of people’ following the event, billed as an ‘end of lockdown party’.
Officers took him to an ambulance. People at the party told them he had attacked Mr Nyarko and he was taken into police custody after a trip to hospital.
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Mr Nyarko’s sister Jessica said that the sentencing would not bring her brother back.
“We have to navigate the rest of our lives knowing that someone took it upon themselves to take him away from us. The daily pain we feel as a family, the void and the reality of doing the rest of our lives without Jason is so heart-breaking.
“A violent act has now impacted two families; Jason we will never see on this earth again, all we have is the memories we made together. The teenager convicted will get to see his family and live the rest of his life. All we can do is hope that he understands the damage he has caused.
“We are so sorry that this happened to you Jason, and we did everything we could do to make sure your death wasn’t in vain. We think about you every day, we miss you so much. We love you forever.”
Detective chief inspector Brian Howie, who led the investigation, said: “Jason’s death tragically illustrates the awful consequences that carrying weapons can bring – a young man’s life has been cut short in its prime and Jason’s family and friends have been left to deal with the pain of this loss.
“In addition, a teenage boy will now spend time in prison as a result of his actions that night.”