A teenager who fatally stabbed a 16-year-old in Lambeth has been convicted of murder.
Juhvaine Elliott, 18 (23.03.05), of Brixton Water Lane, was found guilty by a jury after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
He will be sentenced on Friday, 8 December.
The court heard Elliott was prevented from leaving the country on a flight to Jamaica shortly after the murder, due to fast-time enquiries by homicide detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.
Elliott, who was friends with Rommel McKoy, the victim, but attacked him in Hicken Road, SW2 on 4 April 2022.
CCTV footage shows Elliott run at Rommel, produced a knife and then the pair go out of view.
Rommel stumbled towards St Mathews Road, SW2 where he was initially assisted by members of the public before being treated by air ambulance staff and transferred to Kings College Hospital.
However, Rommel sadly died in hospital on 22 April 2022 due to his stab injuries.
Homicide detectives identified Elliott via CCTV that showed him wearing a distinctive lightweight blue and white jacket. Witnesses also stated that he was the person who stabbed Rommel.
A search warrant was carried out at Elliott’s home on 21 April 2022, however he was not there. Later that day, detectives found out Elliott was boarding at flight at Gatwick Airport to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Airport security was contacted and the plane was stopped. Elliott was arrested and taken into custody.
He provided a series of mainly ‘no comment’ interviews, before he was charged with murder on 10 May 2022.
Detective Inspector Jason Fitzpatrick said: “Another young life has been lost on the streets of London as a result of knife crime.
“Juhvaine Elliott had been friends with Rommel but that did not stop him from launching an unprovoked, fatal attack on him.
“Rommel’s death has left his friends and family devastated. Juhvaine Elliott will now spend a long period of his young life in custody.”
