Four people have been convicted of the killing of a teenager in Gloucester.
It follows a two-month trial at Bristol Crown Court in which a group of eight boys and men had been accused of murdering Ramarni Crosby.
The 16-year-old was fatally stabbed on Stratton Road, Barton, on 15 December 2021.
Levi Cameron, aged 18 and of Stanway Road, Gloucester, along with two 16-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found guilty of manslaughter.
A fourth man, Callum Charles-Quebella, aged 18 and of Midland Road, Gloucester, had previously pleaded to manslaughter.
The jury, which took more than two weeks to reach its verdict, cleared all four of murder. Four others were also cleared of having any involvement in Ramarni’s death.
Keishaleigh Margrett-Whitter, aged 20 and of Lyncroft Road, Tyseley, was found not guilty of two counts of assisting an offender.
During the trial, the court heard that Ramarni and his friends had arranged to meet some of the defendants in Gloucester following an altercation the week before.
However, the prosecution told the jury that the defendants turned up to the meeting armed with bladed weapons.
Ramarni’s friends were able to run off, but the 16-year-old was stabbed in the back before he could escape. He collapsed in the street and died shortly after.
Charles-Quebella had told the court that he had only intended to scare the group and had not wanted to hurt any of them.
Following the verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Almond, who led the investigation, said: “The killing of Ramarni Crosby in December 2021 has had a deep impact on his family and on Gloucester itself which no words can ever heal.
“Ramarni was a young man with much to look forward to in his life which has now been taken away.
“My thoughts remain with his family, friends, and all those in the community who continue to feel the pain of Ramarni’s death.”
Superintendent for the Gloucester and Forest of Dean Local Policing Area Carl Bourne said: “Ramarni’s death has had a profound effect on the community, the investigation team who worked tirelessly to gather the evidence and all our officers and staff who live or work in Gloucester.
“We understand that this will be an emotional time for people in the local community and we as police will remain accessible to provide any support that we are able to.”
Andy Pritchard, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS South West Complex Casework Unit, said: “The case involved analysis of a number of sources of evidence, including phone messages and CCTV, which were key in building the case. This showed the defendants planning a fight with a rival group, revealed that they knew some of their own group would be carrying weapons, and tracked their arrival at the scene of the fatal attack, and then away from it.
“This is another tragic case which highlights the terrible impact of young people carrying knives. The CPS is committed to working with our colleagues in the police to tackle knife crime.”
