Senior gang member and teenager given life for ‘postcode war’ murder
Jaydon James was killed with a machete after being chased in Wood End, Coventry, in 2018.
Two gang members who murdered a 16-year-old boy in a “mindless” machete attack on the driveway of a church have been jailed for life.
Abdirazac Hussein Abdi, 21, and Frank Kenfack, 18, were told the killing of Jaydon James was “as close to an execution as could be imagined” – and only “pure luck” averted the deaths of two other victims.
Abdi, a senior member of Coventry’s RB7 gang, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years at Warwick Crown Court on Wednesday.
Kenfack, a member of the same gang, was ordered to be detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure with a minimum term of 17 years.
The trial was told that at least 14 incidents of violence involving members of RB7 and the rival C2 gang occurred before Jaydon’s murder in the Wood End area of Coventry in November 2018.
Jurors heard that the C2 gang’s “perceived territory” was the CV2 postcode, which includes Wood End, while RB7’s members came from areas in and around Coventry city centre.
Sentencing Kenfack and Abdi, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC, the Honorary Recorder of Coventry, said the men had abided by a “distorted and immoral code” in a gang which had extreme violence as its hallmark.
Kenfack, of no fixed address, had “lied and lied” to the jury while denying murder, the judge said.
Abdi, of Foleshill Road, Coventry, did not give evidence at his trial, which heard he had been shot in the leg at a party in C2 territory in August 2018.
Condemning what he described as a “gang war” between the rival groups, Judge Lockhart told Kenfack and Abdi: “By November 2018 I find that this feud was fully out of control.
“Against that terrifying backdrop, these events occurred.”
The killers had driven to Wood End and were engaged in an armed hunt for anyone they might find on the streets, the judge said.
Describing the weapon used to stab Jaydon in the back as he tried to run away from his attackers, the judge added: “Any form of strike with that was close to certain to result in death.
“This was as close to an execution as could be imagined. The injury sustained was horrific.
“It is a significant aggravating feature that others were targeted.”
Saying the injuries inflicted had been akin to “a medieval battle scene”, the judge added: “It is a piece of pure luck that the court is not dealing here with a double or triple murder.
“Both of you will have plenty of time to reflect on what you did and what you encouraged others to do.”
Both killers were found guilty of murder and wounding on Tuesday.
Commenting following the case, Detective Inspector Stuart Mobberley, of West Midlands Police, said he believed Jaydon was “in the wrong place at the wrong time and his killers were simply out for revenge”.
