Charley Bates: Man jailed for murder of Radstock teenager

A 19-year-old man has been jailed for life for murder after his mum alerted police that he had stabbed another teenager to death.

Joshua Delbono killed 16-year-old Charley Bates during a fight between two groups in Radstock, Somerset.

Delbono's mother called 999 when he returned to his home in Frome, Bristol Crown Court had heard.

He was ordered to serve a minimum of 21 years after being found guilty by the jury following a two-week trial.

Delbono had admitted stabbing Charley but had denied murder, claiming he had been defending a friend.

'Tragic waste of lives'

Passing sentence, Judge William Hart told Delbono he had "lost self-control and of his senses".

"Charley had had no intention that this should have been anything other than a punch up between two boys," he said.

"You slashed at him causing a number of injuries - one to his arm, then, when there was no reason, you stabbed him through the heart."

Charley's mother Helen Freeman said in a victim impact statement her son's death had left her "utterly heartbroken".

Fighting back tears she described running to the car park hoping to get there before Charley passed away.

"Arriving at the scene, there was a complete lack of activity. The silence told me all I needed to know. I was too late and he was gone," she said.

She continued: "I have tried hard to take some solace from 'Charley Boy's' death, by hoping that he will be the last to be taken by knife crime. But that is not so.

"It would seem that my son Charley died for nothing. So many pointless, senseless deaths. Such a tragic waste of lives."

Ms Freeman paid tribute to all of Charley's friends who tried to help him, telling them: "I promise I'll always be there for you all."

'My son's killed someone'

The court heard that when Delbono's mother called the police, she said: "My son's killed someone. He's in my house now, I can't let him go anywhere."

Charley died after being stabbed in a car park near the town's library.

The court heard he was with a group of six friends at about 18.30 BST on the night, when two cars - one driven by Delbono - arrived in the car park.

There was a history of bad feeling between the victim and one of Delbono's group, the jury heard.

An exchange of insults between Charley and the defendant's friend rapidly escalated into the fight between the groups.

Joshua Delbono killed Charley Bates during a fight

Seconds later the defendant got out of his vehicle armed with a five-inch knife and stabbed the victim several times, the jury heard.

As Charley bled to death, Delbono shouted "don't mess with us again" as he and his friends left the scene, witnesses reported.

The whole incident lasted less than five minutes.

Following the killing, Delbono drove to Shearwater Lake near Warminster in Wiltshire where he threw away the knife and burned some of his clothes.

One of Delbono's group filmed the blaze on their phone.

'Stabbings don't happen here'

Fiona Lamdin, Home and Social Affairs Correspondent, BBC West

Radstock is a town, nestled on the edge of the Mendips, close to beautiful countryside - a place where one local told me "stabbings just don't happen here".

Nine months on, the murder of 16-year old-Charley Bates still hurts this town and the locals are still very much grieving for him.

Charley was a former pupil at Writhlington School, had just finished his GCSEs, and was getting ready to start at college.

He was well loved and well known, often seen riding down the high street on his moped.

On 2 September 2022, what would have been his 17th birthday, hundreds came together for Charley's memorial.

And months later in the car park behind the library where Charley died, three parking spaces are still cordoned off.

The spaces have become a memorial, covered in yellow flowers and flags, the teenager's favourite colour.

The police, school and youth services are still working hard together to calm tensions and implore young people not to carry knives.

The court heard Charley had also taken a bag containing a knife and a BB gun to the car park on the night of his death.

Following the stabbing, one of his friends dumped it in nearby woodland but it was recovered by police.

Charley's friends said he was not armed during the fight, the jury heard.

'Chance encounter'

Delbono initially made no comment to police questions, but later admitted stabbing someone.

In a prepared statement, he said: "I thought my friend was being stabbed - this caused me to react."

He said he knew the person he had bought his vehicle from had left a knife inside it but that he did not mean to cause Charley serious harm.

"I didn't realise he was hurt. It was a chance encounter. I'm truly devastated Charley was fatally injured, it was never my intention," he said.