Four teenagers jailed for murder of schoolboy which they filmed on phone and played to crowd at party

A gang of teenagers who murdered a 16-year-old boy filmed the attack on their phones before playing the footage to a crowd at a party "for glory", a court heard.

Dray Simmonds, 19, Joshua Edgington, 19, Corey Burkitt, 17, and Leroy Robinson, 16, ambushed Joseph Riches in broad daylight on July 15 last year. Schoolboy Joseph was stabbed with a machete and was filmed on a mobile phone as he bled to death in Stourbridge.

The youngster was scrambled into a car driven by his friends, who then drove away from the scene on Coventry Street. His body was found by emergency services inside the vehicle which was abandoned almost six miles away in Rowley Regis.

Meanwhile, his killers went to a party later that evening where footage of the moment he was stabbed with a machete was "played to the crowd". Judge Mr Justice Wall said he could only conclude the reason for showing the video was to "glory in it".

Yesterday (Thursday, February 15) Simmonds, of Dudley, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Coventry Crown Court. Edgington, of Winson Green, Birmingham, was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 21 years and 24 months to run concurrently for the bladed weapon.

Burkitt, of Smethwick, and Robinson, of Dudley, who can now be named after reporting restrictions were lifted, were handed 15 year and 15-and-a-half year minimum terms. Justice Wall said all four were compliant in the attack, even though Simmonds and Edgington were the "prime movers".

He said after an initial altercation where Mr Riches attacked them with a screwdriver, there was a chase where Edgington reached him first and "took him down".

He said: "He then filmed as Simmonds struck far more than one blow to the chest and the heart – the pathologist in the case said there was considerable force used to sensitive areas which was likely to end in death.

"It resulted in Mr Riches lying on the ground in a pool of blood and being kicked by one of the other of the group whilst all the time it was filmed. Later on there was a party which all four attended and footage was played at it, I can only conclude it was to glory in it there is no other reason it was only stopped when it was learned that Mr Riches had died."

The judge said all four defendants were compliant in the murder as they all knew of the weapon, a machete which was two feet long with serrated and smooth edges.

He said: "Simmonds had the machete in his clothing after it was brought four days earlier by Edgington and they passed it round to each other but all of the group knew of its existence and control over how it was used. But Simmonds and Edgington were the prime movers and most closely connected to the actual act.

"They had the knife, they were the oldest of the group and they chased Mr Riches first of all. The whole incident was sparked by Mr Riches causing minor injuries with a screwdriver, it is recognised he acted first but what went on after was wholly disproportionate with what had gone on before.

"A young man has lost his life and his family have been left devastated.

"Those who choose to take weapons out on the street and are prepared to use them risk the escalation of violence which we saw on that July afternoon which resulted in death."

Family statement

Joseph’s mother, Sarah, described in a statement following the case how she was still trying to come to terms with her son’s death.

She said: “Joseph was an amazing young man who had the world at his fingertips. He was kind, funny, caring, loyal and compassionate. His murder has left a huge hole in the lives of his family and friends and he will be forever loved and missed by us all.

"I will never forgive and never forget.”

Detective Chief Inspector Laura Harrison, from West Mildands Police's homicide unit, added: “This is another young life lost to knife crime. Only those involved will know the reason for the attack, but no doubt it was not worth the price of a life, or the lengthy sentences that those convicted are facing.”