Two teenagers jailed for life for birthday party murder

Two teenagers have been jailed for life for murdering a boy at a birthday party.

Shea Gordon, 17, was stabbed repeatedly in the street just after midnight on September 4 2022 after he attended a party at a hall on Lichfield Road in Mile End, east London.

Abdul Yaro, 19, and Kavian Vaughans, 18, were convicted of his murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years on Monday.

Shea’s mother Charisse James said police knocking on her door to notify her of his death was “every mother’s worst nightmare”.

In a victim impact statement, Ms James said: “My son went out that night to a party to enjoy himself and never made it back home.

“It will haunt me for the rest of my life. This is something I will never get over.”

Shea’s aunt Nicola Boamah said he was “viciously and brutally” taken away.

She added: “It is devastating he will never ever realise his dream of becoming an estate agent and opening his own clothing line.”

Ms Duvall said he was pursued “mercilessly” by the four defendants who have “forever altered the trajectory of our life”.

The Metropolitan Police said an investigation used CCTV and extensive phone inquiries to show that Shea had been deliberately targeted by the four.

Snapchat messages from their mobile phones showed that they were planning to attend the party in order to attack Shea, police said.

“It was on Morgan Street that Shea was found with three stab wounds; two to his right leg, and the fatal wound, to his upper chest.

“A doctor and two nurses who lived on the street rushed to his aid and an Air Ambulance Doctor performed surgery on the street as he fought to re-start Shea’s heart, but sadly, Shea died from his injuries at the scene.”

The defendants were sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday by Judge Angela Rafferty KC.