Mugger who killed this teenager for his phone faces life sentence

A serial mugger who knifed a 16-year-old boy to death when he tried to stop him stealing his mobile phone is facing a life sentence.

Kyi-Riece Sylvester, 18, stabbed Stelios Averkiou three times in the thigh in the Lordship Recreation Ground in Tottenham, north London, on 1 August last year.

Stelios was rushed to Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel by air ambulance but one of the wounds was 18cm deep and he died nine days later.

Sylvester denied murder but was convicted by an Old Bailey jury today (Tues) after 17 hours and four minutes deliberation.

His alleged accomplice Leon Gruber, 18, was cleared by the jury of murder and manslaughter.

The pair earlier admitted robbing Stelios and five other robberies of youths of property including phones, headphones, a bike and cash between 6 May and 3 August last year.

Judge John Hillen said: ‘Kyi-Riece Sylvester, the jury has convicted you of murder. The sentence is fixed by law you know it will be a life sentence.

‘Because of your age, the law has recently changed in regard to the minimum term that will be served. I will also be sentencing you for robbery, but that will be a concurrent sentence.’

The judge remanded both Sylvester and Gruber in custody ahead of sentence on a date to be fixed and turning to the jury he said ‘The use of knives and stabbings is a persistent and regular feature of trials in this court. It is a terrible menace that takes so many lives.’

Prosecutor Jacob Hallam, KC, earlier said Sylvester had a knife ‘sticking out of his trousers’ when the pair approached Stelios.

‘He said words to the effect of “I’ll take that” and took Stelios’ mobile phone from him.

‘He also kept asking the three if they were farm boys.

‘They said no, but the slimmer one, Mr Sylvester, questioned Stelios as to whether he had seen him with people in Bruce Grove.

‘When Stelios made no reply, the slimmer one, Mr Sylvester, slapped Stelios in the face.

‘In response to that, Stelios hit Mr Sylvester to the cheek.

‘Mr Sylvester then one moved back, pulled the knife that he had in his trousers out and held it in his hand.’

Stelios tried to move away from Sylvester but tripped against the edge of the bench.

‘The slimmer male moved forward and attacked Stelios with his knife stabbing his inner thigh.’

Gruber tried to take a phone from one of Stelios’ friends and nabbed a bike from the other, the court heard.

A woman in the park saw Stelios raise his arms ‘seemingly in a gesture of surrender and fell to the floor,’ Mr Hallam said.

‘At that point, she saw his attacker, as it seemed to her, start to slash at Stelios’ legs.’

The attackers then ran away.

Sylvester, of Flamstead End, Cheshunt, Herts, denied but was convicted of murder.

Gruber, of Edmonton, north London, denied and was cleared of murder and manslaughter.

They each admitted six counts of robbery.