Teen found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing woman, 22, on Christmas Eve in Bermondsey
A 16-year-old boy has been convicted of the manslaughter of Kacey Clarke, 22, after stabbing her during a row at a Bermondsey flat on Christmas Eve.
Teen convicted of manslaughter after Christmas Eve stabbing in south-east London
A 16-year-old boy has been found guilty of the manslaughter of Kacey Clarke, 22, following a confrontation at a flat in Bermondsey, south-east London, bbc.co.uk reports.
The youth stabbed Clarke in the chest during a physical altercation on Christmas Eve. Both had been inhaling nitrous oxide — commonly known as laughing gas — earlier that evening. Nitrous oxide was classified a class C drug in November 2023.
CCTV footage played at the Old Bailey showed the boy threatening to "chin her up" and kill Clarke hours before the fatal stabbing. After the attack, he concealed the weapon — a large knife — in a nearby railway arch, where it was later found by a Thames Water workman.
The court heard the boy had a prior history of possessing knives. He had previously been caught carrying a 25cm Rambo-style blade in an ice cream shop and a lock-knife in his waistband in a residential area.
Giving evidence, the defendant admitted he had inhaled laughing gas and claimed he acted in self-defence, saying he had waved the knife to create an "invisible shield." He told the court he had no memory of the knife entering Clarke's chest.
The jury cleared him of the more serious charge of murder before returning the manslaughter verdict. He cannot be named due to his age and will be sentenced at a later date.
Source: The Sun