Boy jailed for 12 years for stabbing student to death

A 16-year-old thug who stabbed a college student to death after a trivial row outside a shop has been jailed for 12 years.

The killer plunged a knife into the stomach of aspiring musician Duran Kajiama, 17, after confronting him in the street in Dagenham, east London.

He also stabbed Duran’s 16-year-old friend three times in the neck, back and arm during the attack on 12 November last year.

Duran died in hospital six hours later from catastrophic internal bleeding.

But his friend, who cannot be named because of his age, recovered from his injuries and was able to give evidence.

The Old Bailey heard Duran, a student at Palmer’s College in Essex, and his friend were both doing well at school and were ‘promising musicians.’

They were on their way to a pizza restaurant before heading to a friend’s birthday party when the killer approached them outside Krishna’s Convenience Store in Church Street, Dagenham, and started to talk to them ‘aggressively’.

Duran’s friend later said perhaps the defendant had heard of their reputation as mucicians and thought it may have been down to jealousy.

The 16 year-old was cleared of murder but was convicted of the manslaughter of Duran Kajiama on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

He was also convicted of the attempted murder of Duran’s friend.

Two other 16 year-old boys – one of whom was arrested boarding a plane to Lagos in Nigeria – were cleared of all charges.

It is thought they had been hanging around waiting for their cannabis dealer when they bumped into Duran and his friends.

Jailing the teenager for life with a minimum term of 12 years, Judge Michael Topolski QC said: ‘There is no evidence at all as to what could possibly have led to this explosion of terrible violence.

‘The only evidence that could be put before the jury is perhaps the defendant was jealous of Duran and his friend’s reputation in the local area.

‘There’s no evidence whatsoever that Duran is anything other than the perfectly decent and responsible young man referred to by his mother.’

He continued: ‘I am in no doubt based on all the things I have heard and all the things I know about this defendant that he does pose a serious risk of future harm to the public.’

‘Duran was a wholly innocent victim of knife crime.’

In a victim impact statement, Duran’s mother Beatrice Mushiya said: ‘Duran’s death has affected me in every way possible – it’s made all the more painful that he died prematurely and as a result of a violent act.

‘I could never prepare myself for him to be taken from me in such a senseless way.

‘Duran was full of life, always laughing and joking and full of happiness – he was charismatic and had a lovely nature.

‘He had a great future ahead of him and he was working hard at college so he could get the grades to study IT engineering at uni.

‘The death of Duran has almost killed me and I’m amazed that I have physically survived every day since his death.’

‘I wake every morning and I am hit with pain and grief immediately.’

Over 1,000 people attended Duran’s funeral and a permanent commemorative plaque has been placed in his college, the Old Bailey heard.

On the day of the killing, CCTV footage captured the argument lasting around 40 seconds before the 16-year-old killer moved away, pulled a glove on to his right hand and pulled out a knife.

He then pulled a knife and stabbed Duran in the stomach, slicing through the bowel and a major blood vessel.

Duran ran away before collapsing in an alleyway off Crown Street.

His friend was stabbed three times when he tried to fend off the attackers using a bottle of wine taken from the convenience store.

Duran was pronounced dead at 3.25am on 13 November while his friend recovered after spending four days in hospital.

The 16 year-old killer admitted carrying out the stabbing and told police after his arrest: ‘I messed my life up. I did it all for my family and my mum.’

He claimed he was carrying a knife that day because of trouble he had been having with members of the Barking Boys or Harts Lane gang.

Two days before the killing of Duran Kajiama a group of youths sprayed acid at the front door of his family home.

The 16-year-old who tried to escape to Nigeria denied stabbing either of the two victims.

In a prepared statement he said: ‘I was waiting for a taxi with two other people outside a convenience store in Church Street when we were approached by two other boys.

‘The two boys began arguing with one of the boys I was with. I tried to calm down the situation.

‘One of the two boys raised his arm and went to hit me with a bottle so I threw a punch and made contact with his face. I was acting in self-defence.’

The third suspect said on his arrest that he was ‘in Hackney all day’ but later made no comment in interview.

He later accepted he was there at the time of the stabbing but denied knowing that anyone was armed with a knife.

Benjamin Aina, QC, defending the 16-year-old, said: ‘He expresses his deep remorse.

‘He said to me “I’m not the type of person to do this. It still doesn’t make sense to me”.

‘He doesn’t believe the boy who died deserved any of this. What he did was not justifiable and no one had the right to do that.’

Mr Aina said the defendant had been suffering symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome as a result of previous attacks on him.

The defendant was jailed for life with a minimum of 12 years for murder and attempted murder.

His two co-defendants were cleared of any wrong doing.
ENDS