Godiowe Dufeal

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A GANG of six thugs have been given life sentences for the murder of innocent schoolboy Shaquille Smith in a park in Hackney.

Old Bailey Judge David Paget labelled them "arrogant cowards" and gave them minimum terms of between 15 and 18 years. He said Shaquille was a "truly innocent" victim.

The 14-year-old was attacked by a 10-strong bicycle gang called the London Fields Boys last August as he sat in the park in front of his home in Hackney, east London.

George Amponsah, 19, Godiowe Dufeal, 20, Amisi Khama, 18, Freddie Amponsah, 17, Kadean Dias, 18, and Leon Atwell, 17, all from Hackney, were found guilty of murder last month.

He told them they had attacked Shaquille who had done nothing to provoke them.

"He was truly innocent and what is more, he was yards from his own front door," said the judge.

Shaquille had been talking about going on holiday and was a stranger to most of the group.

After the boy was stabbed, they rode off "like cowards" to London Fields, he said.

Judge Paget added: "The most shocking aspect is that it was completely unprovoked and completely unnecessary.

"It was truly mindless violence resulting in the death of a totally innocent 14-year-old boy sitting yards from his front door."

The court was told Shaquille had been sitting with a 16-year-old girl and a boy on the warm evening instead of doing the dishes at home.

His mother had let him off his daily chores because she thought he would be safe with the older girl, said Aftab Jafferjee QC, prosecuting.

But the gang came into the park at St Thomas's Place, near London Fields, soon after the trio arrived.

Mr Jafferjee said: "On the night, they were operating as a roving gang of youths with violence on their minds."

Within a short time, the friend had to run away, the girl was cut across the neck and face and Shaquille was killed.

"He was an utterly blameless boy who said nothing and did nothing to anyone in the park to cause offence, let alone justify being murdered," Mr Jafferjee said.

"Ordinarily at that time in the evening, that boy would have been doing the dishes but, as he was with the girl, his mother did not call him back into the house, confident that he would complete that chore before going to bed."

Mr Jafferjee said Shaquille's mother looked out of her kitchen window and saw the three smile at her.

Mr Jafferjee said a witness heard Shaquille scream for his mother and he went up to him to see what the problem was.

The target of the gang was the 17-year-old friend, who had been challenged about his brother.

Mr Jafferjee said that when he confirmed his identity, one of the gang told him: "Well, you are getting it."

When the friend ran off with his dog, the attackers turned on Shaquille and the girl, the court heard.

Shaquille's social worker mother, Sandra Maitland, told the judge: "Why would someone as innocent as Shaquille become a target?

"Why, when he was innocently standing outside his house, his life was taken away in an instant?"

Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Carl Mehta said: "Shaquille was a totally innocent young boy with no connection to any gang.

"Those who knew him describe him as a kind, caring and considerate boy and an excellent sportsman who had a great future ahead of him.

"The defendants are gang members who can never understand the huge amount of harm and grief they cause to families and communities by the mindless violence they inflict on others.

"Their motives were indiscriminate as they rode around on their bicycles that night, looking for someone to beat up."