Machete man found guilty of murdering teenager in repeated stabbing inside shop

Cam'Ron Dunn was convicted of murdering Derlano Samuels in Smethwick after jurors took just an hour and 35 minutes to find him guilty.

The 19-year-old was found guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday.

Jurors had seen CCTV footage of Dunn, of Sketchley Close, Smethwick, "hunting down" 17-year-old Derlano in a Polish shop on Waterloo Road on May 1 last year.

Prosecuting, Michelle Heeley QC said: "On May 1 last year Derlano Samuels was stabbed multiple times by this defendant. He collapsed and he died.

"The defendant left his home on his bicycle at 4.02 pm. By 4.13pm he had stabbed Derlano Samuels. He was back home by 4.20pm. His every movement was captured on CCTV."

During the trial, a worker at the shop described seeing Dunn chase Derlano into a store room and violently stab him several times.

A post mortem showed that Derlano, who also lived in Smethwick, had died from a stab wound to his chest. It also revealed that he’d suffered multiple stab wounds to his body, including one which left the knife tip lodged in his skull.

Officers immediately dispatched to the shop were able to retrieve CCTV footage which had captured the horrifying attack.

One of them recognised Derlano’s attacker from those images.

A freshly-washed blue tracksuit which was consistent with the clothing worn by Derlano's attacker was then seized from Dunn's home along with a stab-proof vest and a knife sheath hung over pipes in the downstairs toilet.

Two machetes were also recovered; one from in a BBQ in the back garden and the other under the settee in the living room. But following forensic analysis neither was the weapon used in the attack – that has yet to be traced.

Det Insp Hannah Whitehouse said: "The brutality of this attack is shocking. Derlano was stabbed in the street and then clearly tried to flee from his attacker. He was pursued by Dunn and subjected to a further vicious knife attack when he was cornered.

"What caused this horrifying violence to be unleashed isn’t clear but it has resulted in another family losing a loved one, and our thoughts remain with them.

"It is also another sad reminder of the dangers of carrying knives and we hope this conviction can provide Derlano’s family with some comfort that Dunn is now off the streets and behind bars.”

Derlano’s family have now spoken of their loss, saying: "Derlano was a happy, positive, thoughtful and kind-hearted person. His life was taken from him before his 18th birthday in a senseless act at the hands of another. He will be forever missed by his family and those who knew and loved him.

"The youth of today think carrying knives will protect them, but in fact you are putting your life in the hands of the law. Knife crime is a pandemic in the UK, the impact ripples through families and communities and cannot be underestimated."

Dunn will be sentenced on May 13.