Group guilty of killing man in 'planned' attack

Junior Osborne, 50, was described as a beloved brother, dad and husband

Five people have been found guilty for their part in the killing of Junior Osborne in Leicester.

A boy, 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of his murder at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday, while four others were convicted of manslaughter.

Mr Osborne, 50, was stabbed in the neck in Narborough Road shortly after 21:30 BST on 27 September, police said.

He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, but died about an hour later.

All five defendants were also found guilty of possessing a bladed article.

Those convicted of manslaughter included another 16-year-old, who also cannot be named for legal reasons; James Williams, 18, of Pelham Way, Leicester; Moises Steiner, 18, of Dovedale Road in Thurmaston; and Theobald Budzwa, 18, of Ash Court, Groby.

The verdicts came after a five-week trial, with the five defendants due to be sentenced on 11 June.

The investigation was led by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) major crime team.

Key CCTV footage showed the group attacking Mr Osborne after following him, police said.

Key witnesses were then spoken to as detectives examined the footage to identify those involved.

Police said officers found videos of the group holding large knives after examining Steiner's phone, which also offered a close-up view of their clothing, which meant they could be matched with the group shown in the CCTV footage of the attack.

'Co-ordinated attack'

Det Insp Mark Parish, from EMSOU, said: "One of the boys admitted stabbing Junior but tried to argue that he'd only intended to injure him and not kill him, which I don't believe is true.

"His actions – along with the rest of the group – were captured on CCTV.

"I'm firmly of the belief this was a planned and co-ordinated attack to kill Junior.

"I hope his loved ones feel that justice has been done and that the group are now going to be serving substantial prison sentences."

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