Teenage rapper knifed to death after party invite went viral

A teenage rapper was stabbed to death with a Rambo-style knife at a schoolgirl’s party that got out of control when the invite ‘went viral,’ a court heard.

A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named, allegedly murdered musician Leoandro Osemeke, known as Showkey, a week after his 16th birthday on 5 August last year.

The Old Bailey heard the victim was struck twice with the blade as he walked into the packed hallway of a townhouse in Peckham, southeast London.

Showkey then staggered outside where he collapsed and died, the Old Bailey heard.

The pair had attended the bash thrown by a Year 10 girl on a hot summer’s day after word spread on social media, jurors were told.

Prosecutor Lisa Wilding said: ‘The invite went viral. Witnesses estimate between 100 to 200 people attended, consisting of teenage males and females.

‘By about 7.15pm, the party had become noisy and was spilling out onto the road and local residents made calls to the police about disturbances being caused generally by the party.’

Jurors were told Showkey smiled and greeted people near the door when he arrived at the party with his brother and two pals.

But witnesses said he was attacked just 25 seconds after he walked into the hallway, which was filled with around 50 or 60 teenagers.

One party-goer described seeing the 15-year-old pull a blade from his waistband, while another said he struck Showkey twice holding a Rambo-style knife in his gloved fist.

Jurors heard Showkey staggered outside and collapsed.

Emergency services were called and medics battled to save his life, but he was pronounced dead at 7.19pm.

The court heard his killer calmly told others ‘I did it, I did it’ in a manner which seemed ‘like he didn’t care’.

He then fled the party into the back garden where he made his getaway over the fence, jurors were told.

The prosecutor said news of the killing quickly spread on social media and the 15-year-old told a young relative: ‘I stabbed someone…that guy Showkey.’

Ms Wilding told jurors: ‘The defendant was and still is 15 years old and he was at that party.

‘A 16-year old young man whose name was Leoandro Osemeke also attended that party. He was a musician and rapper and was known as Showkey.

‘These two men were known to each other. Showkey walked into the house and within seconds of his arrival he was stabbed twice by the defendant be in the hallway of that house.

‘He staggered outside and collapsed. The emergency services attended and performed emergency heart surgery on him there.

‘However, despite all efforts taken for almost an hour, Showkey was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.45pm that night.’

The 15-year-old was not present in court as the prosecutor opened the case as jurors heard he is being held a long way from the Old Bailey.

The prosecutor added: ‘There is no doubt the defendant caused the death of Leoandro Osemeke.

‘The prosecution allege that he murdered him, that he stabbed him deliberately twice and that he did so unlawfully.

‘Those two blows were deliberate and with force and into the chest area. One of them pierced his heart.

‘The defendant accepts that he stabbed Showkey. Your task will be to decide whether in doing so he was acting in a situation in which it was or may have been necessary to defend himself.’

The 15-year-old, from southeast London, denies murder.

The trial continues.
ENDS