Man jailed for killing boy, 16, in front of mother

Camron Smith was stabbed to death in front of his mother in her bedroom

A man has been jailed for 13 years for manslaughter after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death in front of his mother in her bedroom.

Romario Gordon, 22, was part of a group armed with knives who were "effectively hunting as a pack" as they came for Camron Smith at his home in Croydon, south London, on 1 July 2021.

Camron's mother Audrey Johnson tried to protect her son when they kicked down the door and tried to take a knife from one of the attackers, the court heard.

During sentencing at the Old Bailey, Judge Anuja Dhir KC told Gordon: "When you arrived at the address, it was your plan to cause injury and you knew that knives were being carried, some of those knives were large machetes."

She added: "Camron Smith was killed in front of his mother in her bedroom. I cannot think of anything worse for a mother to see."

Ahead of Camron's killing, the group of men had hijacked a Toyota Prius minicab and unleashed a crimewave in Croydon as they looked for revenge for another stabbing.

The gang entered two other properties before kicking down the door of Camron's home and forcing their way in.

After a struggle downstairs, they chased Camron upstairs to a bedroom where he attempted to barricade himself and his mother inside.

Ms Johnson desperately tried to protect her son and tried to grab a large black zombie knife with a serrated, curved 16-inch (40cm) blade brandished by one of the attackers.

She then stood, arms outstretched, in between her son and the group in a vain attempt to stop them.

But within minutes, Camron had been surrounded and fatally stabbed at the property in Bracken Avenue.

He was unarmed and dressed only in his underwear.

Romario Gordon was found guilty of manslaughter in September

In a victim impact statement Camron's mother said: "A scene so horrific that never in my dreams I would imagine would happen, let alone in our home, a place where you should be protected from harm or danger and where you have the right to feel safe and secure.

"There is an emptiness inside of me due to Camron's murder and his death will haunt me every day for the rest of my life and a misery that I endure every single day.

"The day they killed Camron was the day they killed my soul, a part of me died with him."

'Genuine remorse'

Gordon, who was 17 at the time, was later seen on CCTV fleeing from the stolen taxi and disposing of a large machete in a nearby road.

The trial heard he fled to the Gambia two days after the killing, before he could be identified and arrested.

Defending, James Scobie KC told the court Gordon was "productive" and "led a lawful life" during his time in Africa running a car washing business and employing people for more than a year, before wanting to return to "face justice" in the UK.

Mr Scobie added: "The decision to leave the UK to begin with was very much driven by his family."

He also told the court that the defendant had written a letter to the judge, which showed "huge regret and genuine remorse".

The fatal attack happened in July 2021

The other men who were convicted are:

• Romain La Pierre, 22, was found guilty of murder and robbery of the minicab and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 28 years at a previous Old Bailey trial

• James Olanipekun, 19, was convicted of robbery and manslaughter and jailed for eight years

• Jordan Tcheuko, 21, was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for 15 years.

Police are still hunting two other people in connection with the killing.