Two teenagers, described as “cowardly,” have been sentenced to prison for the murder of a 15-year-old boy during a gang-related machete incident in south-east London.
Imri Doue, aged 18 and hailing from Woolwich, was convicted of murdering Daejaun Campell, while his accomplice, 19-year-old Marko Balaz from Abbey Wood, was found guilty of manslaughter. A third individual involved, Jacob Losiewicz, 18, was acquitted of murder charges.
During the proceedings at the Old Bailey, it was revealed that Daejaun had pleaded, “I’m 15, don’t let me die,” after being ambushed in September of last year. Doue received a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years, while Balaz was sentenced to 11 years.
Outside the courthouse, Daejaun’s mother, Jodie Taylor, expressed her discontent, stating, “Justice hasn’t been served – it will never be.”
The prosecution presented evidence that the attackers were recorded on doorbell cameras entering a residence on Eglington Road shortly before Daejaun walked by, clearly visible to anyone observing from the windows.
Not long after, both Doue and Balaz were seen loitering outside, dressed in dark clothing, with Doue wearing a balaclava.
Witnesses recounted seeing Daejaun fleeing down the path, allegedly pursued by two individuals, and heard a woman shout, “he’s been stabbed.”
One eyewitness reported hearing Daejaun scream for help during the assault.
In court, Mrs. Taylor confronted her son’s murderers, questioning, “When will this knife crime epidemic come to an end?”
She lamented that actions like theirs devastate families and communities and labeled her son’s killers as “pathetic cowards,” emphasizing that the system repeatedly failed Daejaun.
Mrs. Taylor admonished the perpetrators for their apparent lack of remorse and advocated for a sentence that truly reflects the “devastation” they inflicted.
Judge Sarah Munro KC, during her remarks on sentencing, resonated with Mrs. Taylor’s sentiments, stating, “As she rightly says, enough young lives have been lost already.”
She remarked that Daejaun had been “sucked in” to a lifestyle where carrying a knife was seen as “normal,” and the defendants robbed him of the opportunity to escape his “criminal behavior.”
In a statement made on behalf of Daejaun’s family, Shalina Brown highlighted how leaders such as Sir Keir Starmer, Sir Sadiq Khan, and David Lammy spoke of reform “while our children die.”
She asserted, “Until the system prioritizes the protection of the innocent over comforting the guilty, more mothers will find themselves where I stand, and more names like Daejaun’s will be engraved on memorials long before their time.”
She pointed out that those who opt for violence receive multiple chances, whereas those who choose love often end up in graves.
Daejaun’s tragic death occurred mere months before his friend, 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa, an aspiring rapper, was also fatally stabbed with a machete on a bus.
Kelyan, known as Grippa, had appeared in a YouTube music video where he was seen next to a memorial for Daejaun.
The deaths of both boys have been connected to gang culture on the streets, with Daejaun reportedly being manipulated and groomed by older individuals.
Jurors learned that the motive behind Daejaun’s murder remains uncertain, although he was found to be in possession of money and drugs, potentially crack cocaine, at the time.
