Judge fumes as gang killer dodges murder trial

A judge has slammed a decision which allowed a gang member who killed a rival in a premeditated knife attack to avoid a possible life sentence.

Bhoniefas Rexson, 19, searched the internet for a suitable victim after taking a call from a jail inmate and went to a hunting shop to buy a weapon.

He then ambushed Gedeon Ngwendema, 21, at JD Sports in the Brent Cross shopping centre and stabbed him in the heart.

But despite the fact he planned the attack, prosecutors accepted Rexson had suffered a loss of control – and had been provoked by Mr Ngwendema.

When he admitted manslaughter on that basis, they agreed not to try him for murder in front of a jury, an offence which carries an automatic life sentence.

Caroline Carberry, QC, prosecuting, said: ‘We accept that there was a loss of control by the defendant on that date.

‘We have take a sensible and pragmatic approach over all of the evidence available… and came to a decision that the plea is acceptable to the Crown.’

Ms Carberry added: ‘Gedeon Ngwendema was stabbed to death by this defendant.

‘The defendant was 18 years old at the time of the killing, and 19 now.

‘Earlier during that afternoon at about lunchtime, the defendant received a phonecall from a friend in Wormwood Scrubs prison.’

Rexson purchased a knife ‘for the road’ from hunting shop, Woody’s of Wembley, on the day of the killing.

He was a member of the ‘Thugs for Life’ gang and Ngwendema was a member of the ‘Hurst Crescent’ or ‘A9’ group.

Rexson lay in wait outside JD Sports and when the victim and his friend approached he stabbed him in the chest.

Ngwendema pleaded for an ambulance as he tried to crawl to safety, leaving a trail of blood on the floor in front of terrified shoppers.

He received first aid at the scene but died soon after the attack, at around 6:45pm on 4 May last year, the Old Bailey heard.

When he was caught by security guards Rexson said: ‘Okay, I give up. They’re after me. I need to get out of here.’

The court heard Rexson has previous convictions for robbery and possession of knives.

He was on police bail at the time of the incident for the murder of another A9 gang member but was not charged.

Judge Anthony Leonard, QC, fumed: ‘I have had an explanation given to me with counsel in chambers, and had the CCTV shown to me and have considerable reservations about the acceptability of this plea.

‘I know about the gang background, I know the defendant went to the internet to look for a life to take that day.

‘I cannot let this go on without saying I have deep reservations about the acceptance of the plea by the prosecution, when they are saying this only just meets the criteria for loss of control.

‘To my mind, that is a matter that needs to be tested by a jury.’

Judge Leonard continued: ‘The defendant speaks to a friend in prison about needing a knife for the road.

‘He goes to a shop, buys a knife, and secretes it on him, goes to the shopping centre, enters two sports shops without purchasing anything, waits outside JD Sports for six minutes on his phone.

‘When the deceased arrives he puts his hand on the knife, and enters what you call a stance.

‘He gets out his knife, and stabs the deceased.

‘He almost immediately regains control, as he gives a false account to the security guards.

‘This is loss of self control?’

Rexson, of Buck Lane, Colindale, admitted manslaughter but denied murder.

He appeared in court wearing a grey suit and glasses.

Last year Rexson had to change his legal representation after he threatened to ‘smash up’ his solicitor and send people round to the office.

The judge said: ‘I am very concerned, if a defendant is willing to make these sorts of threats towards a solicitor he is capable of making threats to any solicitor, and I can’t see a way to transfer legal aid.’

Rexson entered the shopping centre with the knife concealed in the back of his tracksuit bottoms, the court heard.

Ms Carberry continued: ‘Footage shows it was busy at the time with members of the public at the time.

‘There is no evidence to suggest that the two young men knew one another but it is clear from the CCTV footage that they recognised each other.

‘Their meeting that day appears to be by chance.

‘It is from the back of his waistband that he withdraws the knife which he holds in his right hand.

‘He then places both hands behind his back and adopts a wide legged stance.

‘Both the defendant and the deceased are seen to attempt to strike each other, each using his right arm

‘Gedeon appears not to make contact with the defendant.

‘At the same time the defendant, who now has his knife in his right hand, lunges forward and aims towards Gedeon Ngwendema’s chest.’

Gedeon was then supported by a friend as he clutched his chest and walked away from the fight, as Rexson tried to flee the scene before being detained by two security guards.

Ms Carberry continued: ‘He [Gedeon] was heard by a salesperson working on one of the kiosks, to say, “I’ve been joked”, meaning stabbed.

‘Another shopper heard him say,“someone get me an ambulance”. She could see a lot of blood on his jacket.

‘The security guard asked [Rexson] if the other boy got stabbed – he had seen him bleeding from his chest – and the defendant said “no”.

‘He said he thought it was a case of mistaken identity.

‘When the security officer asked if it was a gang kind of thing, he said “yeah.”

‘After arrest he continued to maintain that he hadn’t done anything, that this was “a joke”, that what was happening was “harassment”, that he was “clearly the victim” and “it wasn’t fair”.

‘During this time medics were trying to save Gedeon’s life on the concourse where he had collapsed.’

Two off-duty doctors who were shopping nearby rushed to give Gedeon CPR before paramedics took over.

Despite their brave efforts, Gedeon was pronounced dead at 7.45pm.

Gedeon, who is of Congolese heritage, was unarmed when he died.

The aspiring personal trainer had delayed going to university to care for his sister and his parents after they fell ill.

His sister told the court: ‘I was home with my kid as I saw the tweet on social media. My baby watched me as I screamed on the floor until my partner arrived home.

‘His face looked peaceful, just as it did when he fell asleep on the sofa.

‘We were told his last words were “I’m only turned 21”, and he was. He was still a child.

‘Gedeon still had time, but that time and opportunity was taken away from him, not because of Covid, or a long term illness, but by another man’s actions.

‘How does a mum tell their children that the sweet boy in pictures with their mummy had a knife put through his heart in the middle of the day, in the local shopping centre down the road?

‘That person had a history, and a future, a bright future that was taken away from him.’

Gedeon’s godsister said: ‘The last time we were able to see him was inside a coffin, and we want justice for him, we lost someone great.’

Police suspected Rexson was trying to conceal something in his cell toilet, and found the 6cn Magnum folding knife used in the killing in a drain at Wembley police station on 7 May 2021.

Rexson is a known member of the Original Kingsbury Boys or Thugs For Life gang, which waging a war against the A9 gang.

He was on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder Drekwon Patterson when he killed Gedeon.

Drekwon Patterson was attacked by a group of males on 18 February 2021 and stabbed over fifteen times, dying from his injuries the next day.

Rexson has admitted possession of a bladed article.

Judge Leonard will sentence Rexson tomorrow at the Old Bailey.