Ashford stabbing trial: Teen guilty of drugs row murder

Osita Alagbaoso will be sentenced in August

A teenager has been convicted of murdering a man in a row over fake banknotes being used in a drug deal.

Osita Alagbaoso, who is 18, stabbed 19-year-old Jaydon McFarlane in Brookfield Road, Ashford, on 14 March 2020.

A second teenager, Joseph Matimba, 18, was acquitted of murder, but admitted perverting the course of justice.

A third man, Hassan Tejan, 25, was convicted of perverting the course of justice after denying the charge.

The murder was the result of a rivalry between two gangs in Ashford, whose members had engaged in a series of violent incidents in the weeks before the killing, Kent Police said.

Jaydon McFarlane was declared dead at the scene in Brookfield Road, Ashford

During the trial Maidstone Crown Court had heard that Mr McFarlane had used three fake £20 notes to buy cannabis from Matimba.

Det Ch Insp Gavin Moss, said: "This case shows how gang associations and messages on social media can so tragically turn to acts of serious violence and murder.

"The death of the victim in this case is a tragedy which will have an everlasting impact on his family and friends."

Alagbaoso, from Hoppers Way in Ashford, and Matimba, from Bodiam Road in London, have been remanded in custody.

Tejan, from Crownfield Road in Ashford, was granted bail.

All three will be sentenced on 20 August.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].