Fifth teenager found guilty of manslaughter over killing of Keon Lincoln

Keon Lincoln was chased, stabbed and shot outside his home by a group of teenagers in Perry Barr, Birmingham

Keon Lincoln was attacked outside his home on 21 January in Birmingham (PA)

A fifth teenager has been found guilty of manslaughter over the killing of 15-year-old Keon Lincoln, who was shot and stabbed outside his home in Birmingham.

Four other teenagers, including a 14-year-old gunman, were found guilty of Keon’s murder on Thursday. The group got out of a stolen car, chased Keon Lincoln down the street and repeatedly stabbed him on January 21. He was then shot in the stomach as he lay on the ground, the court heard.

A jury at Birmingham Crown Court found 18-year-old Kieron Donaldson guilty of manslaughter on Thursday. Donaldson was cleared of murder by a majority 10-2 verdict after the trial heard he “helped and supplied weapons” for the planned attack.

Jurors deliberated for 17 hours and four minutes before reaching their conclusion. They were asked to consider whether Donaldson had assisted or encouraged any of the others to carry out the attack.

They were also told that he would not be guilty of murder if they could not be sure that Donaldson intended the attackers to cause Keon serious harm.

A 14-year-old and a 16-year-old, who are too young to be named, were convicted of murder alongside Tahjgeem Breakenridge, 18, and Michael Ugochukwu, 18.

The 14-year-old was also convicted of possession of a firearm with the intent to endanger life and the others were all convicted of having an offensive weapon. Detectives told the court during the trial that it was unclear why Keon had been targeted.

Detective Inspector Jim Colclough said that those convicted “absolutely set out to cause someone some real harm that day.”

He added: “The motive isn’t clear at all. But the fact that they’ve gone out, and carried such weapons, and have acted for a purpose that at the moment is beyond us, I can’t comprehend.

“I think as a society it is something that is really difficult for everyone to comprehend.

“People of that age should not be arming themselves with weapons and going out with a view of causing either someone really serious harm or killing them.”

Kieron Donaldson, 18, is due to be sentenced on 29 November alongside his co-defendants. Judge Lord Justice William Davis said the four murderers would each receive a life sentence, with Donaldson facing a “significant” sentence.