Boy guilty of murdering dad-of-three who confronted gang of yobs ‘who abused his daughter’
11 July 2022, 11:11 | Updated: 11 July 2022, 11:40
A teenage boy has been found guilty of murdering a dad-of-three who confronted a group of youths who taunted his daughter in the street.
The boy, 15, will face life when he is sentenced in September after being found guilty on Friday.
James Markham, 45, confronted a mob of teenagers outside his home in Chingford east London after becoming ‘exasperated’ with shouting and swearing at the back of the property.
He brandished a drill bit in an effort to scare off a group of teenagers but a boy, then aged 14, stabbed him three times, including a fatal wound to his lung.
After the stabbing, his wife Candice said he had gone outside to protect his daughter.
She told the Mirror last year: ““The boys were walking around with metal poles. They were swinging them and shouting at my daughter,” said a tearful Candice.
“It’s just disgusting. It’s not the first time - you see them walking around and smashing bottles in the street. Just doing what they like, there’s no police."
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James died at the scene on August 9 last year.
The teenager was found guilty of murder and possession of an offensive weapon at the Old Bailey last Friday.
James, a stonemason by trade, came home before 6pm and was in a shed at the back of the flats where he lived before he was stabbed.
Police said James had become ‘fed up’ after the area behind his home became a spot for anti-social behaviour.
James was knifed three times - in the back, armpit and chest.
The teenager dropped his phone at the scene as he ran away and was quickly identified.
He was arrested two days later and declined to comment in police interviews.
Detective Inspector John Marriott, Specialist Crime, said: "James was a loving family man who leaves behind a partner and three children. That day they were met with a horrific scenario that no family should have to endure. I hope this conviction will provide them with some small measure of comfort as they continue to grieve James.
"The teenager in this incident was subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order and should never have been in the area. He had flouted it on a number of occasions.
"The knife he used was never recovered, indicating he went to some lengths to try to distance himself from this horrific crime. But my team worked to collate a wealth of witness, CCTV and forensic evidence proving his guilt. He will now spend a substantial amount of time behind bars.
"I'd like to thank the skill and determination of my team in working to deliver justice to James's family. Our thoughts remain with them."
