Remorseless! Killer teen’s cop attacks

A teenager who stabbed his friend to death and then posed with his fake Rolex watch is facing a life sentence.

Aron Warren, 18, was knifed through the heart by the 17-year-old at his home in Greenwich, southeast London, on 8 December last year.

As he lay dying the killer, who cannot be named, helped himself to some of Aron’s belongings before running out of the home onto Prior Street.

The killer repeatedly attacked police officers after his arrest

When he was arrested days later, an iPad in his bedroom was found to contain a photo of him taken hours after the robbery, posing with Aron’s watch.

Aron worked for his parents’ burger van, earning £200 per shift in their catering van on matchdays at Charlton Athletic.

But the teenager also sold cannabis, advertising it for sale on his Instagram account ‘moneymotivated’. the Old Bailey heard.

The 17-year-old denied murder and having a bladed article but was convicted after 29-and-a-half hours’ deliberations.

But he was cleared of robbery after claiming the stabbing occurred during an argument about drugs.

Judge Paul Dodgson adjourned sentence pending psychiatric and psychological reports on the youth.

‘I believe that he is very dangerous at this stage of his life,’ he added.

‘I quite accept that that which you present in custody and that which you present in this court may not be a true reflection of who you are now.

‘It is your behaviour both before the offence and subsequent to that which causes me great concern and it is necessary in my judgement for the protection if the public that I make that inquiry.’

James Mulholland, QC, prosecuting, earlier told jurors: ‘Aron Warren had quite an affluent lifestyle.

‘He worked for his parents who were relatively well off and who brought him items.

‘He also sold cannabis as a sideline. He wore designer brand clothes and had stylish watches.

‘By late 2018, the defendant had grown envious of Aron Warren’s lifestyle and, indeed, his possessions.

‘He wanted a share of Aron Warren’s money and some of the expensive items he owned and had spoken to others of robbing him on a number of occasions.’

     Victim:  Aron Warren worked hard with his parents  

The killer had been in phone contact with Aron in the hours before the killing and CCTV cameras, along with records from his sister’s Oyster Card, tracked the route he took to the flat.

 Just minutes before knocking at the door, the youth was seen speaking to two other friends, telling them he was on his way to Aron’s place and lifting up his jacket to reveal the handle of a knife.

According to another youth at Aron’s home the killer had suddenly’ lunged at him, pulling back with a ‘bloodied knife’ and demanding money.

The teenager was arrested several days later and found with the fake Rolex along with two sheathed hunting knives.

‘When they arrested him and searched his home, they also found an iPad on his bed in his bedroom,’ said Mr Mulholland.

‘Saved on that iPad was a photograph of the defendant that had been taken in the early hours of Sunday 9 December at his friend’s home only a few hours after Aron Warren’s death.

‘In that photograph he poses wearing the watch which had recently been stolen from Aron Warren; the fake Rolex.’

The prosecutor said Aron moved to the UK with his mother after spending the first six years of his life living in the Republic of Ireland.

He was well-known by the nickname ‘Irish’, he added.

Aron worked for his mother and step-father’s catering business, earning £200 per shift in their catering van on matchdays at Charlton Athletic.

‘However, he also made extra money by selling cannabis,’ Mr Mulholland continued.

‘He used to advertise its sale on his Instagram account ‘moneymotivated’ and he kept the cannabis at his flat.’

The prosecutor added: ‘In addition to the money Aron made from selling cannabis, he was fortunate to have a generous mother who would buy him designer label clothing.

‘He also liked watches which had an expensive appearance. One of these was a fake Rolex.

‘He was very proud of his watches, there were three of them, and he loved wearing them, particularly that Rolex.

‘He would sometimes leave the watches on his living room table with his cannabis so that he could admire the watches.

‘As with most young men, he also kept himself well-groomed.

‘The overall effect of the money, the clothing and the watches was that they appear to have created jealousy and resentment amongst some of the individuals whom he knew, and one of those was the defendant.’

Jurors heard a woman, who knew of both teenagers through her brothers, recalled seeing the killer appearing ‘envious of the nice clothes and watches’.

She recalled him threatening two weeks before the murder to ‘finesse’ – street slang for rob – Aron.

The killer had tried to leave no trace of his fingerprints or DNA at the flat and he got rid of most of his clothes.

But there was ‘no doubt’ he was the knifeman because of the CCTV evidence and accounts of witnesses who saw him in and around the flat.

Aron’s blood was also found on his right trainer and some of his belongings recovered from his home, the court heard.

While on remand the killer was also overheard boasting about having ‘stabbed someone and watched them die’ before attempting to get rid of evidence.

The youth, from Plumstead, southeast London, was found guilty of murder and having a bladed article but cleared of robbery.

He will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.