He murdered twice before he was 18

A drill rapper who murdered two teenagers before he was 18 is facing his second life sentence.

Nyron Jean Baptiste was 16 when he and five others ambushed and knifed Michael Jonas, 17, to death in Betts Park, Penge, southeast London, on 2 November 2017.

Baptiste was still at large on 1 November 2018 when he plunged a machete into 15-year-old Jay Hughes’ chest outside Morley’s chicken shop in Bellingham and yelled: ‘I got one’.

He had never met Jay when he pulled up in the black Ford Galaxy wearing a mask with two other males and just wanted to ‘harm others in order to maintain his social position’.

Baptiste, now 22, along with Ryan Brown, 21, Jamie Marshall, 22, Divon Henry-Campbell, 23, Sarraviho Smith, 23 and Jason Smith, 20, denied but were convicted of murdering Michael Jonas.

There were sobs from the public gallery as the thugs were convicted.

Brown and Henry-Campbell were both cleared of threatening another person with a bladed weapon.

Judge Peter Rook, KC, told the killers: ‘You have all been convicted of the gravest of offences, the offence of murder.

‘You were all part of a murderous attack upon Michael Jonas on 2 November 2017.

‘You know there is only one sentence I can pass in such a case and that is a life sentence, and I also need to set the minimum term you must serve.’

He adjourned sentence until 20 November.

Baptiste is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 19 years for murdering Jay after a judge referred to his ‘involvement in gang videos posted on YouTube and the drill rap lyrics he wrote’ along with the collection of knives and masks he kept.

John Price, KC, prosecuting, had told jurors the six killers were first charged with murdering Michael Jonas in December 2017.

The prosecution was discontinued in early 2018, while the police investigation continued.

‘In October 2022, the prosecution re-commenced, and all six defendants were re-arrested and re-charged,’ he said.

Southwark Crown Court heard commuter Hannah Crispin was making her way home from work after getting off a train at Anerley Station when a man asked if she had a phone.

‘She replied yes and asked why,’ said Mr Price.

Michael Jonas

‘Understandably, she was wary of him. She wondered whether he was simply trying to get her to take out her phone so he could steal it from her.

‘He asked her to call the police because, he said, a man had been stabbed in the park. He asked her to follow him into the park. This only made her more nervous. The park was dark.

‘She felt scared. To begin with she could not see anyone in there. But this man was not trying to steal her phone. He was entirely genuine, and he did want her to call the police.’

‘She went to a point just inside the entrance of the park… she could now see someone lying on the ground.

‘By this time, she had made the call and was speaking to the 999 operator. That call was connected at 19.22. She relayed to the operator what the man was telling her.

‘It was apparent from what the man was saying that he had seen some of what had happened to the person lying on the ground.

‘In response to Ms Crispin’s call and within just a few moments, police officers arrived at the scene.

Jay Hughes

‘They found a young man lying on the ground,’ continued Mr Price.

‘He had indeed been stabbed. Those two officers, others who were to arrive at the scene, and paramedics who also attended, did everything they could to try and save him.

‘However, so grave were his injuries, he was beyond help. Though it was not until 20.17pm that a medic formally certified him to be deceased, it seems likely he was already dead by the time the police first arrived.’

‘Using personal effects found upon the body, it did not take long for the police to identify him. His name was Michael Jonas.’

A post-mortem found cause of death was most likely a hemorrhage caused by stab wounds to the chest.

‘Defensive injuries were present on the left hand,’ said the prosecutor.

‘He was not only stabbed or cut to the front. There were also multiple superficial sharp injuries to the back.’

The blade which caused the ‘deep penetrating and fatal wounds was certainly a very large knife,’ said Mr Price.

‘Michael was ambushed. All six defendants played a part in that ambush.

‘First, he was waylaid by Divon Henry-Campbell, Jason Smith, Jamie Marshall, Ryan Brown and Sarraviho Smith.

‘They went with him, or rather lured him, into the park and there, they waited. Out of the sight and hearing of Michael Jonas, Divon Henry-Campbell then made a telephone call to Nyron Jean Baptiste.

‘He immediately set off on a bicycle and he arrived there at 19.12.

‘It was all over before 19.15. By then a group of six, they made good their escape from the park, leaving Michael Jonas lying on the ground, fatally wounded.’

Jean-Baptiste about to stab Jay Hughes

‘It is therefore alleged that Mr Baptiste himself personally stabbed Michael Jonas, though he may not have been the only one to do so.

‘The evidence shows that on that day, at least two of the others were also carrying large knives. They were Mr Henry-Campbell and Mr Brown.’

‘However, it is submitted that if this was indeed an ambush, then it does not matter who it was, from amongst those who took part, who stabbed Michael Jonas.

‘We say this was a group of people acting together with a shared purpose.’

Mr Price told jurors: ‘You will hear in the days and weeks prior to his death, Michael Jonas was apprehensive and fearful for his safety and told his family why. He also moved out of his home.’

Baptiste, along with Brown, of Croydon, Marshall, of Penge, Henry-Campbell, of Gravesend, Kent, Sarraviho Smith and Jason Smith, both of no fixed address, all denied but were convicted of murder.