When the two groups met the next day at Victoria, the pupils from Henry Compton were hopelessly outnumbered. This, we suggest, gave them purpose and gave them strength. Eight young people have been convicted of killing 15-year-old Sofyen Belamouadden in front of horrified commuters at one of the UK's busiest stations. The peak of success of the Victoria Station restaurant chain took place at the time of the culmination of a joint venture with Universal Studios, which resulted in the opening of Victoria Station Universal City, a location on the "hill" near where Citywalk now stands. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's So brazen and confident were his killers that they openly carried the various weapons that they used with them as they ran towards him and together hunted him down. Sofyen Belamouadden was stabbed nine times after pupils from two rival schools clashed at Victoria station in central London in March 2010. The last teenager to stand trial for the murder of a 15-year-old boy who was hunted down at a central London railway station has been convicted of his killing. Listen to us LIVE all day long! They were repainted and converted into dining cars. Tuesday's devastating attacks in Brussels show IS's European network is still at large, despite a year of intensive efforts by security forces to close it down. Police officers stopped the bus and found a selection of knives as well as blade-sharpening steels and a schoolbag. The court also heard the gang used batons, swords and iron bars to kill Sofyen with indescribable aggression in front of rush hour commuters. One of the accused killers is 18-year-old Victoria Osoteku, of Mereton Mansions, Brookmill Road, New Cross, who is suspected of helping arm the gang with a complete set of kitchen knives. HP10 9TY. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The court heard the defendants' group thought of the station as their territory as they travelled from their homes in south London to school everyday and would hang around socialising after school. Read about our approach to external linking. There were also drops on Roberts' trainers and a black jacket worn by one of the 17-year-olds . VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Eight teenagers, all from south London, have been found guilty in connection with the death during a series of trials. One of the accused killers is. Tyrone Richards, 17, and Enoch Amoah, 19, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and were each sentenced to seven years in a young offenders institution. He said the 12-second attack on Sofyen had followed a minor confrontation the day before between pupils of two west London schools in the food area of Victoria station. Such was their arrogance that they carried out that kind of attack in heart of the capital city and public place, the terminus of the station at the height of rush hour and in the sight of scores, if not hundreds of people passing by going to their own homes.. Three men have been jailed for at least 18 years each for murdering a 15-year-old schoolboy at a tube station. A witness said she had been "gloating" about what happened the following day at her sixth-form college. Sofyen's mother, Naima Belamouadden, said: "I hope the memory of what they did to my son lives with them every day as it lives with me.". "I have no wish to inflict revenge on the culprits but Sofyen, whose life was tragically cut short, would expect justice to take its course. Miss Osoteku, who also joined in the. The group pursued Sofyen into the station, down the escalator and into the ticket hall, where a smaller group hacked, kicked and battered him to death in front of scores of commuters. [10], A new company, called Victoria Station Acquisition Corporation and was controlled by Lowell Farkas, purchased the Victoria Station trademark and 11 of the restaurants for $6.5 million and the assumption of a $1 million tax liability. (Huntsville AL, Montgomery AL, Mobile AL, Pensacola FL), Singer Johnny Cash produced a promotional album of train songs for the chain, titled Destination Victoria Station, which was then sold in the restaurants. At the peak of its popularity in the 1970s, the chain had 100 locations in the United States. Her home was searched, but she told officers she had suffered an accident and wet herself and had been forced to throw out her trainers because they were sodden. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Baby's body found as police continue to question couple, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports. Sofyen was killed on the concourse of Victoria tube station in South London after a feud between pupils from two rival schools erupted into violence. The theme of the restaurant was loosely based on London's Victoria Station. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Bayode was the last of 20 people to be tried in connection to Sofyen's death. The girl is alleged to have beaten Sofyen Belamouadden as he was hacked to death by a gang in front of horrified commuters. The Old Bailey jury convicted him of manslaughter and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm, but failed to reach a decision on the murder charge after 17 hours of deliberation. [11], The chain was a sponsor of the United States Ski Team at least from 1977 to 1979[12] For several years, the Park City Ski Area (Mountain Resort) -- at which the US Olympic Ski team practices -- named one of its ski lifts Victoria Station. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. All six defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm. Scientists are debating whether it's possible to harness the power of gravity for interstellar space travel. Sofyen Belamouadden, 15, of Acton, west. Sofyen was rushed to St Thomas's hospital, but could not be saved and he was pronounced dead at 6.15pm. Sofyen, a promising footballer, was stabbed nine times in the lungs and chest in a 12-second attack. They didn't expect these kind of weapons and almost certainly didn't expect the level of ferocity, said Mr Heywood. The eight youths on trial were all seen behind him. Tyrone Richards, 17, and Enoch Amoah, 19, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH and were sentenced to seven years' detention. Enoch Amoah, 18, of Camberwell, was cleared of both charges but convicted of violent disorder. "That confidence and arrogance came too from knowing that between them they were so heavily armed that no other individual or smaller group or even a police officer or member of station staff could stop them.". So brazen and confident were his killers, we suggest, they openly carried the various weapons they used with them as they ran towards him and hunted him down. The judge said the youths had shown no remorse and had not acknowledged responsibility for the death. In a statement read to the court, Naima Ghailan, the murdered boy's mother, said: 'No amount of words can describe the amount of pain and grief I live with day in, day out. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Rebecca Camber for the Daily Mail The court saw CCTV footage of Osoteku kicking Sofyen in the head as he lay dying on the ground. They were not connected. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Sofyen was a pupil at the Henry Compton School in Fulham. The court heard that she bought a set of knives from Argos with a 17-year-old youth at lunchtime and gave them to the gang ahead of the clash between two west London schools. He had bragged on Facebook the previous night: "I will bring my samurai". Victim: Schoolboy Sofyen Belamouadden, 15, was stabbed to death at London's Victoria station during rush hour Samson Odegbune held the 12in sword above his head as he, Christopher. Bayode who denied the charges was the 20th defendant to be tried and the 17th to be convicted for his part in the killing. Judge Moss added: "You were seen to deliver the final kick to Sofyen as you were the last of the group to run away.". On 20 April they were ordered to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years, and eight years to run concurrently for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Bayode was the last of 20 people to be tried in connection with Sofyen's death, Sofyen Belamouadden was killed in a 12-second attack, Obi Nwokeh, Christopher Omoregie and Samsom Odegbune were convicted of murder. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. She denied the charges during a five-month trial and was found guilty in February. Friday 22 April 2022 18:43 . That night the Ladbroke Grove pupils plotted their revenge on Facebook, with Oderinwale, then 16, acting as an 'armourer'. 1981 newspaper ad for the Seattle Victoria Station location, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Victoria_Station_(restaurant)&oldid=1142147452, Regional restaurant chains in the United States, Defunct restaurant chains in the United States, Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1986, Articles needing additional references from December 2020, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Robert Freeman, Peter Lee, and Richard Bradley, Independently owned franchised restaurants in U.S.; Daiei and later Zensho in Japan, Lowell Farkas, President, CEO and Director (19871992), Columbia, MO (was at 402 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201, Building now Shiloh Bar & Grill), Orange Village, Ohio (located on Orange Place near Interstate 271; now demolished - another structure now occupies the site), Tokyo, Japan (still running under the name, Kobe, Japan (named "Central Station" which was Victoria Station's chain, now closed), Sapporo, Japan- complete with Big Boy statues, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 19:39. contact the editor here. On the previous day, March 24, the two groups of rival teens were seen arguing at the station. The largest joint-enterprise murder prosecution in the country has ended with the conviction of the last of a group of 20 teenagers in connection with the killing of a 15-year-old boy at a busy central London railway station. The series of linked trials involving 20. On Wednesday, the jury could not decide on a murder verdict against Bayode after 17 hours of deliberation and he may now face a retrial on that charge. The last remaining restaurant in the former chain was located in Salem, Massachusetts until it abruptly closed in December 2017. Sofyen, 15, died after being chased by a crowd of youths into Victoria Tube station in March 2010. [1], The restaurant chain continues in Malaysia. Osoteku was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter in April, along with three other youths. A woman who was seen on CCTV kicking a boy in the head after he was fatally stabbed in a Tube station has been jailed for 12 years for the killing. The barrister said the confidence and arrogance stemmed from the group nature of the attack. Sian Harrison. [6] The restaurant was grossing $90,000 monthly during its first year of operations. If it goes ahead, it will be the sixth trial since the aspiring footballer was killed in the 12-second attack. Read about our approach to external linking. She said: "I just went to see if he was ok and I nudged him with my foot to see if he was ok.". Five teenagers have been convicted of killing a 15-year-old boy at Victoria station in central London. A woman has been found guilty of killing a teenager who was stabbed to death at a London Tube station. A breakaway group chased Sofyen into the tube ticket office area and kicked, stabbed and struck him with other weapons as travellers watched in disbelief. 01:19 GMT 21 Apr 2012. Hackney Central closed after police incident -recap, Hackney Central closed as man taken to hospital and armed police present -recap, Alleged loan shark, 69, arrested in Romford, Section 60 'stop and search' order after Hackney Central stabbing, Remains found in woodland following search for Constance Martens baby, Stranger Things set to hit the West End with stage spinoff of Netflix hit called The First Shadow, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Adonis Akra, 18, Samuel Roberts, 19, and Femi Oderinwale, 18, were found guilty of manslaughter during earlier hearings. She denied the allegations during the five-month trial saying she had not kicked the teenager. Another to the front of the chest sliced through a rib and in to the heart and nicked one of his vertebrae. Promising footballer Sofyen Belamouadden was stabbed nine times after pupils from two rival schools clashed at Londons Victoria station. All 20 teenagers arrested in the aftermath of the killing were charged with murder on the basis of joint enterprise including those not present at the moment the victim was killed. A man has been convicted of the manslaughter of a schoolboy who was fatally stabbed in a gang attack during rush hour at London's Victoria station. He was born and bred in London and often talked of his ambition to represent England in the World Cup final.". Please report any comments that break our rules. The rival west London group, including Sofyen, has pulled in to Victoria two minutes earlier on a 148 bus. The following locations in the U.S. are known to have at one time housed a Victoria Station restaurant: In 1979, Daiei and Wendy's International formed a joint company called Wenco Japan Inc. that operated Victoria Station franchise steak houses and Wendy's fast-food restaurants in Japan. and Samson Odegbune held the 12in sword above his head as he, Christopher Omoregie and Obi Nwokeh led the chase of the victim in the ticket hall during the early-evening rush hour. Osoteku, 19, from Deptford, south-east London, was found guilty on Monday of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. I often think of the suffering he must have gone through, that he was set upon with such savagery and why I was not there to protect him," he said. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. The court heard that she was behind a youth who led the charge with a Samurai sword. Obi Nwokeh, 19, Christopher Omoregie, 18, and Samsom Odegbune, 18, were convicted of murder. He was stabbed nine times and suffered wounds to his heart, a lung and major blood vessels. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. [16] In 2002, Daiei sold Wenco Japan, which included the Victoria Station franchised restaurants, to Zensho for 4.60 billion yen. Three others have been convicted of manslaughter. Obi Nwokeh, 19, Christopher Omoregrie, 18, and Samson Odegbune, 18, were given life sentences at the Old Bailey and told they must serve a minimum of 18 years. Open on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve with limited menus, by reservation/preorder only. Jurors heard the night before the death one of the 17-year-olds, who was just 16 at the time, took to Facebook to recruit troops and weapons. Sofyen Belamouadden, from Acton, west London, suffered multiple stab wounds when he was attacked at Victoria Underground station on Thursday. Junior Bayode, 19, was convicted in October of manslaughter and conspiracy to. Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, said the "merciless" knife attack on the schoolboy took place in front of hundreds of commuters. Sofyen's mother Naina Ghailan reacted angrily to the sentence. Fulham schoolboy Sofyen Belamouadden was stabbed nine times in the ticket hall of the station after being surrounded by youths. The jury were told Sofyen Belamouadden, aged 15, was hunted down punched, kicked and stabbed by up to 20 youths in the ticket hall of the Underground station. A further three teenagers, Adonis Akra, 18, Samuel Roberts, 19, and Femi Oderinwale, 18, were convicted of manslaughter and given 12 years detention each.It acted as the direct catalyst for the pre-arranged meeting which led to Sofyens death. DeSantis won't say he's running. Read about our approach to external linking. Roberts from Camberwell, Nwokeh from Borough, Osoteku, Amoah from Denmark Hill and the four other defendants deny murder, conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. One of the suspects was overheard telling a friend: Didn't you see me run in to the station and shank him?. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, said: 'Sofyen Belamouadden was pushed down and killed in broad daylight. [7][8] In May 1986, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. bankruptcy court. Two teenagers have been found guilty of his murder in March 2010. Adonis Akra, 18, Samuel Roberts, 19, and Femi Oderinwale, 18, were found guilty of manslaughter and given 12 years' detention each. Tube drivers will stage first of three 24-hour strikes over a "breakdown in industrial relations". Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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