Two youths who went ‘crazy’ and beat a man to dea

Two youths who went ‘crazy’ and beat a man to death because of a
paltry week-old debt have been jailed for life.

Victim David Young, 34, was beaten so ferociously that his chest
collapsed, leaving him incapable of breathing and drowning in his own
blood.

Kevin Shaughnessy, 20, and Foley Alogba, 16, denied murder but were
unanimously convicted by an Old Bailey jury.

Mr Justice Hidden told them they took the life of a hardworking man
with no enemies.

‘You decided jointly to administer a beating.

You wished to do him
serious bodily injury and did so, and in doing so took his life.

‘You have been convicted of murder and there is no other sentence I
can pass.

Shaughnessy, you will be detained in youth custody for life.

Alogba, you will be detained for her majesty’s pleasure.

‘
Shaughnessy’s mother in the public gallery burst into tears as the
two were sentenced.

The jury was told the only motive for the brutal attack was a
trifling debt Mr Young owed Alogba.

Tragically, he had repaid the cash – just pnds stlng seven – to
Shaughnessy but the youth never bothered to inform his co-defendant.

On June 9 last year, Shaughnessy and Alogba had gone to Mr Young’s
flat in Cullumwelch Court, Islington, to confront him about the debt.

The first anyone knew of the savage beating which followed was when
Shaughnessy calmly phoned an ambulance for the dead man, who had
supposedly told of being beaten up by ‘three black guys.

‘
But pressed about the injuries by police, he cracked and admitted
he had ‘freaked out’ during an argument about the debt and could not
control himself.

In the witness box, he said he had kicked Mr Young hard.

‘But not
as hard as I could.

‘
He demonstrated how he had stamped down on his victim’s chest from
about eight inches but did not think he had caused serious harm.

‘I thought he’d only been winded.

‘
Shaughnessy, from Hoxton, said Alogba had joined in the fight,
using an air pistol as a club.

Alogba was arrested at his home in Haberdasher Street, Hoxton.

He told detectives he was powerless to stop his friend, fearing that
he would suffer the wrath of Shaughnessy’s anger unless he pretended
to join in.

‘When he (Shaughnessy) kicks out, you can’t stop him.

I didn’t want
him turning on me.

‘
Afterwards, he went to a string of friends to arrange a false alibi
for the time of the slaying.

Alogba told the jury he had used the kind of force used to
‘kick a ball 100 yards’ adding: ‘I couldn’t have kicked him harder
if I’d tried.

‘
He maintained that he did not realise his kicks were bound to cause
really serious harm.

Both denied murder but were unanimously convicted by the jury.

The judge was told nothing in the youths’ criminal pasts was even
close to the calibre of the current charge.

Shaughnessy was on the verge of tears as he and Alogba were
sentenced.

ENDS