Gordon Gault death: Two men guilty of manslaughter

Carlos Neto and Lawson Natty have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 8 March

Two men have been found guilty of killing a 14-year-old boy in a machete attack in Newcastle.

Gordon Gault died in hospital after he was wounded in the Elswick area of the city in November 2022.

Carlos Neto, 18, of Salford, and Lawson Natty, 18, of Newbiggin Hall, had denied murder but were convicted of manslaughter. They will be sentenced on 8 March.

Four other youths were found not guilty of murder at Newcastle Crown Court.

Neto, of Manchester Road East, and Natty, of Eastgarth, were also convicted of unlawful wounding.

Two other 18-year-olds, Benedict Mbala of St John's Walk, Newcastle, and Daniel Lacerda, of Paddock Close, Ferryhill, were cleared of all charges.

A 17-year-old and a 16-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were also cleared by the jury.

Gordon Gault died from his wounds six days after being stabbed

Mr Gault's mother, Dionne Barrett, said, "It breaks my heart that I will never get to hear him say 'I love you mam' again.

"By carrying knives, you could not only ruin your life but that of your family and friends as well.

"In a split-second you could end someone's life and destroy your own."

The fatal attack, which also saw a 17-year-old boy slashed in the back, came against a background of tit-for-tat violence between groups of youths, jurors had been told.

The court had heard that Neto struck Mr Gault in a surprise attack, having repeatedly talked about carrying out a stabbing.

Other defendants claimed they were only in Elswick to film a social media video to show they were not scared of their rivals.

The court heard Natty supplied Neto with the machete used in the attack

Senior investigating officer, Det Ch Insp Matt Steel, said: "Those convicted had a choice - they chose violence. Their lives and those of the people who care about them have also been changed by the decisions they made.

"That should act as a lesson to anyone who goes out with a weapon, involves themselves in violence or encourages others to do so."