Related photos / videos

Samantha Joseph, 16, was convicted of murder at the Old Bailey for leading Shakilus Townsend to the quiet cul-de-sac where he was killed by a masked and hooded gang.

The lovestruck teenager bled to death after being beaten with baseball bats and stabbed six times in a "relentless and merciless attack".

He was besotted with Joseph and told his mother he wanted to marry her, but she told others she was using him and treated him like "s*".

While Joseph, who was 15 at the time, was happy for Shakilus to shower her with gifts, she was still obsessed with another teenager, gang member Danny McLean, 18, of Thornton Heath.

McLean had dumped her when he found out about her relationship with Shakilus, who was no stranger to gangland culture and knife crime himself, earning his first criminal conviction at the age of 13, but Joseph was prepared to do anything to get him back.

CCTV pictures from the day of the attack in July last year show her wearing a see-through floral dress as she met Shakilus and took a bus with him.

He thought they were on their way to meet her cousin but in fact she was playing a "dangerous double game" luring him to the ambush in Thornton Heath, south London, while secretly keeping in touch with McLean by mobile phone.

She laughed as his attackers caught him and began raining down blows with fists, feet and baseball bats before she turned and walked away.

McLean - who had himself been injured by a bat during the furious melee - plunged a knife into his chest, raking it across his liver before twisting the blade.

As he lay bleeding to death Shakilus called out for his mother and cried: "I don't want to die."

McLean, who was wearing a bright orange bandana, the colour identifying him as a member of the Shine My Nine gang to which he and the other attackers belonged, then walked off with Joseph who was seen carrying his hoodie and a cream-coloured handbag stained with his blood.

Joseph later set about trying to "rub out" any trace of her relationship with Shakilus, deleting his online Bebo account and telling friends to erase his number from their phones.

In court she admitted agreeing to lead him into the ambush so that he could get beaten up but said she did not realise he would be seriously hurt. But jurors rejected her explanation and she was found guilty of murder along with McLean.

Brothers Tyrell Ellis, 19, and Don-Carlos Ellis, 18, from Thornton Heath, were also convicted of murder, together with Andrew Johnson-Haynes, a 18-year-old former public schoolboy from Croydon who played rugby for London Irish.

Two other youths, aged 17, were also found guilty.

Girl faces life over 'honey trap' murder - Yahoo! News UK

Good. I hope the little bitch does get life and receives the same treatment behind bars. She deserves nothing less. That was just so evil and unnecessary to do to someone who simply adored you. The rest of those little f##kers deserve to rot in sh*t too.

Serves them all right.

This happened at the end of my road, and I was traumatised for days as it was such a high level of violence for the area.

I also (inadvertently) know the mother of one of the guilty, and it's the last thing you would expect from her family but, then again, I don't suppose she'll have "Mother of Murderer" tattooed to her forehead.

I hope they are sentenced appropriately. However, I feel there are others to fill the gap left by them. I spoke to a nine year old the other day who took great pride in telling me he was a member of this gang and that gang .

My elder son thinks we're the devil sometimes as we are so hard on him at times, but since I enrolled him into extra tuition he has been put on gifted and talented for Maths & IT - he already was on for history & English. I just don't let him run around the streets.

I fear too many of our youth are already lost, and I despair.

Video of gurl and boy walking away after attack. >> BBC NEWS VIDEO| Honey trap girl guilty of murder

See her face: Teenage girl convicted of murder

what?


this story involves all blacks?

wow


there was eerily a similar set up one season on the wire...

under the premise of meeting a girl....some dude got set up and got killed


what was the motive for the girl?

I've been jumped before, dude tried to rob me before....what's the motive to just beat up and kill somebody?


all parties should get life penalties...and they should broadcast the sentencings...

They're all up for life and given the media interest will probably all get life too.

I could disown family for stuff like that.

The video of the "couple" go to the location is disturbing. The video were they walk away AFTER and she's carrying his bloody clothes and a knife... god damn!! She looks cool and calm.

DtotheJ... yeah they were all black. Watch the video in the link. The motive is explained in there too.

More in this video as well

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Teenage girl convicted of murder

Whats life for a sixteen year old? She'll be out aged forty one and theres no way she'll see that long in the system, would be more like mid twenties, to institutionalize from that age (16) sees a person develop, mature and age in prison which isn't something they want so she'll be out before long.

Guess thats the issue really, prisons in the UK are for rehabilitation, unlike many prisons in the states for example. In that regard a prison sentence in the UK isn't seen as something to be afraid of.

Kids are acting out of fear and wanting respect, will get worse if nothing is done about it, talking about community initiative rather than government.

Worst two years for Africans in Britain in my opinion.

Apologies to Vezz but the media should put focus on the parents, wether its deserved or not. Theres crime based on poverty then theres murder... these kids are murderers, homicidal and nothing else.

How could somebody be so cruel to a person who just wants to love them?

they need one of thoe sentences that deems them a danger to society thus although life is xy years after so long they have to proove they ae not dangerous

set the example so all the foolish girls across the uk can see what stupidity gets ya

Well I have no symptahy for any of them. Murderer and victim alike. Does anyone deserve to die/ of course not.. but by all acounts the youth who got killed was no angel and probably had juck down a few people in his time too. Life by it/ die by it.

BG wrote:

If it was my child, I'd probably be packing a gat right now...


I understand your sentiment..if my child was someone who kept himself to himself / then Id be waiting for them and resigned to going jail, if I get caught. However if my child was a little hooligan then no. Just have to take that on the chin and rest yourself. As we older heads know.. its often the company you keep and the way you carry yourself about town, which dictates which kind of situations you get into. And as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow/ no doubt both of them would of been boasting to the girl how much man they juck up etc and playing on their badmanism. Seen and heard it so many times you can smell the play a mile away. And she being the girl she is would respect that talk.

How you keep your youths out of this madness. You keep them busy/ you listen to their friends talk outside the bedroom so you have an idea what kind of people they are dealing with. And you cultivate enough emotional maturity that they dont feel they have to kill someone because someone is messing with 'their girl'. Dutty stinking ****ing lowlifes.

I feel you Bredder Tukoma, but I also say to keep them out of this madness, you beat their ass.

No talk back, no 'time out', no discussion.

Too many folks wanna be their kid's 'friend' instead of being their parent. We Black folks should know better.

This reminds me of a similar case, that of Yusufu Miiro:


"Love rival killing youth jailed"

"Khyrie Hylton, from Hackney, east London, attacked the promising criminology student because he had befriended his ex-girlfriend."

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Love rival killing youth jailed

The major difference being the role of the girl. They're all quite young and I should think after x number of years something like what happened to the James Bulger killers will happen to them:

BBC News | UK POLITICS | Bulger killers 'released'

Interesting the amount of jilted lover murders over the years:

BBC News | WALES | Man killed 'love rival' in rage

BBC NEWS | UK | England | DJ jailed for killing love rival

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Beds/Bucks/Herts | Love rival killer gets five years

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Essex | Women killed teenage love rival

BBC NEWS | UK | England | West Midlands | Woman stabbed love rival to death

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Murderer collapses after verdict

BP and others , I have to disagree (strongly) on this one. Bredder Tukoma as you said "no one deserves to die...". I would add in these or similar circumstances. I can envisage few if any qualifications to that, really. The youth who died was a child. Misguided, perhaps stupid and wayward, but a child nonetheless. What an appalling way to die.

My younger cousin at 17 spun off the rails. She came from a "good" home, strong family, good ethics and values but she simply got involved with the wrong crowd and spun totally off the rails. I'll spare you the details but it was ROUGH. EVen worse on occasion she was violent. BOttom line ? She got to about 20 years of age and totally turned her life around. 9 years later she is a qualified doctor training to be a surgeon. Would she have deserved all she got if the crowd (dangerous and deadly) that she was running with had got her killed. Would we just have shrugged our shoulders and put it down to the fact that this was a "risk she took"?

To be fair I do hear what you are saying and can even understand the sentiment to an extent, life is about individual responsibility, it is just that in this instance what you say runs counter to what I think is right. but then I subscribe to the "village" theory of raising a child. More important for me is that having read this story , literally over and over again, I simply cannot relate to or understand it in any way. The mindset of the youths who carried out this murder (including the girl who is equally culpable in my book) is a million miles away from anything I will ever understand. What would you be thinking to act in this callous, cold blooded and pre-meditated way? I find this frightening to be honest. And those that no me will no that I am not easily scared...

The tragic thing is that are too many of the these stories, maybe not as an extreme but in the papers everyday. What is causing this? Is it really as Ankhor Man says all about respect ? As a community what if any responsibility do we bear for this? I fear that there must be some. This is more than just shouting 'lock them up and throw away the key' every time this murdeorus mayhem happens amongst our youth. And yes, before someone says it, this may happen in other communities and be hushed up. But I'm African and it is our youth and their future that is weighing on my mind.

Whatever the issue I agree with Ankhor Man that this is a community issue which requires communuity initiative.

T

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | 'Honey trap' killers facing jail

'Honey trap' killers facing jail

The killers of a teenage boy including the girl who lured him to his death in a savage knife attack in south London, are to be sentenced later.

Shakilus Townsend, 16, was besotted with Samantha Joseph who lured him to the gang made up of her ex-boyfriend Danny McLean and five others.

The prosecution at the Old Bailey said a knife was raked across the victim's liver in the "honey trap" attack.

Shakilus called out for his mother as he lay dying, the court was told.

The teenager, from Deptford, south-east London, was attacked in a cul-de-sac in Thornton Heath in July 2008.

Residents tried to stem the loss of blood with bath towels but he died several hours later in hospital.

The court was told Joseph lured their victim to the gang which was made up of McLean, 18, brothers Tyrell Ellis, 19, and Don-Carlos Ellis, 18, all from Thornton Heath; Andrew Johnson-Haynes, 18, from Croydon, south London; Andre Thompson and Michael Akinfenwa, both 17 and both of Norwood, south London.

Shakilus was attacked with a baseball bat and stabbed several times.

As he lay bleeding he called out for his mother, crying: "I don't want to die."

Brian Altman QC, prosecuting, said Joseph, now 17, "set up the hapless Shakilus Townsend in a honey trap with a lethal and tragic twist".

"She was more than equal to the task. She played her part to perfection, duping Shakilus who could see no wrong in her, the others in hot pursuit of him."

His mother, Nicola Dyer, wept as her son's killers were found guilty at the Old Bailey trial in July.

"I can't understand how she could have callously set him up and lured him to his death," she said.

Why did I have a feeling she was mixed race after reading the story and how it all went down??

Such a sad heartless killing. They all deserve to rot in jail.

The girl is wicked she did this because she couldn't take rejection after McClean dumped her. She did all this madness to prove her "loyalty" to him. Then went as far to delete traces of him from her life in order so they wouldn't be able to connect her to him.

All this just because he was infatuated with her.....Sad sad.

Then McClean and his foot soliders beating him with bats and knives. 6 on 1 cowards.

All this madness over a girl. Nonsense.

What the hell is going on?

Afternoon Trini.


[quote=Trini;1507448]BP and others , I have to disagree (strongly) on this one. Bredder Tukoma as you said "no one deserves to die...". I would add in these or similar circumstances. I can envisage few if any qualifications to that, really. The youth who died was a child. Misguided, perhaps stupid and wayward, but a child nonetheless. What an appalling way to die.

My younger cousin at 17 spun off the rails. She came from a "good" home, strong family, good ethics and values but she simply got involved with the wrong crowd and spun totally off the rails. I'll spare you the details but it was ROUGH. EVen worse on occasion she was violent. BOttom line ? She got to about 20 years of age and totally turned her life around. 9 years later she is a qualified doctor training to be a surgeon. Would she have deserved all she got if the crowd (dangerous and deadly) that she was running with had got her killed. Would we just have shrugged our shoulders and put it down to the fact that this was a "risk she took"?

Bro..in answer to your last question my answer would be yes. Its unfortunate but thats the risk she took.You cant mollycuddle the kids from the realities of life especially now when they are so much more ruthless and ready to kill. If you break in someone house you due to get you arse killed by the owner. If you mess with people and run with gangs robbing people etc then you are due to get your commupance. Some get lucky/ get wiser and grow up. The majority are in that life for their youth. And unless they want to chnage they aint changing. **** em.

To be fair I do hear what you are saying and can even understand the sentiment to an extent, life is about individual responsibility, it is just that in this instance what you say runs counter to what I think is right. but then I subscribe to the "village" theory of raising a child. More important for me is that having read this story , literally over and over again, I simply cannot relate to or understand it in any way. The mindset of the youths who carried out this murder (including the girl who is equally culpable in my book) is a million miles away from anything I will ever understand. What would you be thinking to act in this callous, cold blooded and pre-meditated way? I find this frightening to be honest. And those that no me will no that I am not easily scared...

Exactly. Me and you cant understand it. And these kids are too far gone. That boy Shakulis was posing with his big long knife and no doubt had stabbed or had intentions to stab somebody given the right circumstances. Why is that conviently forgotten. He was as much a perpetrator of knife crtime as a victim.

The tragic thing is that are too many of the these stories, maybe not as an extreme but in the papers everyday. What is causing this? Is it really as Ankhor Man says all about respect ? As a community what if any responsibility do we bear for this? I fear that there must be some. This is more than just shouting 'lock them up and throw away the key' every time this murdeorus mayhem happens amongst our youth. And yes, before someone says it, this may happen in other communities and be hushed up. But I'm African and it is our youth and their future that is weighing on my mind.

Whatever the issue I agree with Ankhor Man that this is a community issue which requires communuity initiative.

Which community?The parents of the culprits or others. Most of these parents are hopeless and are out raving enjoying their reclaimed youth after their children have reached certain age. Most of these kids are in chicken and chip shop getting their dinner every day. Most of the parents cant wait to get the kids out of the house so they can enjoy their 'freedom'. And some of the parents Ive encountered at my son's school ready to knock out teachers and screaming injustice are the source of the little shits they bring up. providing a Playstation and clothes on a child's back seems to absolve them of any other responsibilities. Where are the parents of these kids around my way who are out at 12/ 1.00am who no doubt will be the future gang bangers of tomorrow.


Let them shoot and stab each other and the fittest survive. I'll reach out to the ones who want to help themselves in my own family and freinds. Ive got a cousin that has been in jail continously from his teens. If I hear he dead on road will I be surprised...to tell the truth Im past caring. We've spoken to him/ he has received a beating ( proper knocks not no belt) from his Uncles. Then he comes out with this Muslim bullshit that he is trying to be better while at the same time getting arrested for selling Class A to more black people no doubt. My attitude. He can go to hell. Nope you got to get them early pre/early teens or forget it. Beacuse when one of them attacks my child for some imagined slight I dont want to hear that they had a hard time. Its war and I dont care if the child is 14, or if the parents want to get involved.

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Jail for 'honey trap' murderer

A girl must serve at least 10 years in prison for the murder of a 16-year-old boy who was lured to his death in south London in a "honey trap plot".

Samantha Joseph, 17, lured Shakilus Townsend in July 2008 to a gang which was made up of her ex-boyfriend Danny McLean and five others.

Shakilus, from Deptford, south-east London, was stabbed in Thornton Heath in July 2008, the Old Bailey heard.

Six other teenagers, including McLean, were found guilty of the murder.

Those teenagers are yet to be sentenced.

I dont know BB, why did you? Do you sterotype all mixed race females as heartless, evil slappers then?



I also live in this area. There is a lot of this 'baby ganster' type of violence around here, but this specific incident was truly shocking and traumatic for the community.

At the end of the day, yes the basic fault can sometimes be laid at the feet of the parents, but as someone with personal knowledge of the deceased young man and his family, I have nothing but respect for Nicola as a woman and mother - but Shakilus was arrested a while before his death walking down the street in broad daylight with an AXE. This was not her fault. She has never been a neglectful mother, she doesnt do drugs, or drink too much, the house is clean and well organised, the children are well cared for and taught well culturally and morally, and she's worked her arse off for years.

Danny Mclean was known to be an evil b*stard long before this happened - he'd been involved in gang rapes of underage girls in the past so what the hell was this animal doing on the street anyway?

As a matter of fact, ALL of the perpetrators - not sure about the girl - had long histories of violence and gang related activity.

Its my belief that some of these kids do not realise the consequences of what they are doing - you carry a knife, to look big in front of your bredrin - along comes someone who you are scared of, you know this guy is gonna buss your head for you, you pull out the knife to try ward him off and the next minute he's gasping his last breath in a piss filled gutter and you are left thinking what the hell have I done? And then you have cases like this, where they CLEARLY knew what they were going to do. It was planned down to the last detail, she KNEW that this would be much more than just a beating and she isnt sorry or shocked by what she has done - none of them are. Nicola was threatened and spat at in court, to the point where all the defendants were handcuffed together as a security measure. They were smiling and joking together as evidence was read out and the delectable Miss Johnson and Mr Mclean are still an item to this day. This is not, in my view something which could be blamed on any of the parents involved in this case.