Four teens jailed over revenge murder of 16-year-old Kennie Carter in Manchester, as heartbroken mother pays tribute
26 July 2024, 16:11
Four teenagers have been jailed over the murder of 16-year-old Kennie Carter in Manchester in 2022.
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Kennie was walking home along Thirlmere Avenue in Stretford when he was stabbed in the chest by a boy who was 14 at the time.
Now 16, the boy is still too young to be identified, but has been sentenced to a minimum of 17 years behind bars for murder. He was also sentenced for carrying out a machete attack on a 16-year-old boy in Leeds while under investigation for Kennie’s murder.
18-year-old Latif Ferguson from Old Trafford was sentenced to a minimum of five years having been found guilty of manslaughter based on joint enterprise and two 16-year-olds will serve a minimum of four years.
Six others now aged between 15 and 19 were found not guilty of murder and manslaughter.
Read more: Two men arrested on suspicion of murder after torso found in nature reserve
During the trial at Manchester Crown Court, the jury was told the motive for Kennie’s murder was revenge.
A group of boys travelled from Hulme to Stretford on the evening of January 22 2022 looking for retribution following an incident the evening before.
They went to a block of flats where they knew Kennie’s friends would typically hang out.
While there, they stole three bikes, and a witness heard them shout ‘this is revenge’.
Kennie was made aware a group of boys were in the area and later headed home. In a tragic turn of events, he passed the group on Moss Road, and it is at that moment he became their focus.
Kennie was killed following a single stab wound to the chest while he was on the phone.
Sadly, he would never make it home to his family.
The group of boys ran from the scene. None of them provided him with any medical assistance, nor called for an ambulance.
Officers were made aware a boy was fighting for his life on the street and raced to the scene to perform CPR before paramedics arrived and rushed him to hospital, where Kennie died from his injuries.
Following numerous public appeals for information, which included a £50,000 reward and heartfelt messages from Kennie’s parents, detectives from Greater Manchester Police were able to identify ten teenage boys and they were jointly charged in connection with his murder.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicola McCulloch from our Major Incident Team said: “Firstly, I would like to express my deepest condolences to Kennie’s mum Joan and dad Glen, his wider family and friends as well as the rest of the Carter family.
“It’s been nearly two-and-a-half years since Kennie was taken from them in this spiteful attack, and it has been extremely difficult for them in court. They’ve had to watch and listen to Kennie’s last moments many times; something no family should have to experience.
“This case serves as a sobering reminder of the destruction carrying and using knives can cause, not only has one boy lost his life, but since that tragic evening many more have been irreversibly impacted.
“I would like to thank the entire team for their hard work and dedication throughout this complex investigation. I would also like to express my gratitude for the CPS and prosecution who have worked closely with us.”
Paying tribute to her son, Joan said: “Kennie brightened up every day with his cheeky smile and his bubbly personality, he was always acting daft, telling jokes and generally being a 16-year-old boy, he had everything to live for.
“He was our baby, the youngest of our four children, and just starting out in life. He had so many plans for his future, he was about to start applying for college, wanting to design artwork on cars.
“He was a very talented artist; I hadn’t realised how artistic he was until one of his teachers showed us his drawings and they were genuinely impressive.
“Life since the day of his murder has not been the same, we all miss Kennie so much, every day I wake up thinking of him, I dream about him regularly.
“We are still stuck on the day Kennie was killed and I feel people are moving on and forgetting about our Kennie. Life has stopped for us and will never ever be the same.”
Kennie’s mum, Joan Dixon, told LBC: “When Kenny was killed, he was killed on our street more or less, just down the road, and every day we come out, we have to walk down that same street and see the same people. It's been hard, every day it's waking up and reliving absolutely everything.
“I know these people are going to serve a sentence, but we're serving the biggest sentence ever.
“Kenny was a no drama kid, just loved being in his room on his game. He was a big gamer, liked rap music. Liked being cheeky, just a normal 16 year old. He was too lazy to be bothered about drama. And that one day that he goes out at the house for 10 minutes…he's gone.
“I feel like our team's been broken up. There's just that missing part gone, he was my baby.
“These kids that are just walking around with knives. The justice system needs to change in a big, massive way.
“I don't even think there's been a word invented for them sort of people yet for the pain that they're causing people's families, it's not just the mums and dads, it's the brothers, the sisters, the nan, the grandad.
“Our family won’t ever be able to move forward.”
