A 22-YEAR-old man has been convicted of stabbing a teenager to death after attempting to flee the UK to avoid justice.
Romario Gordon, 22, was part of a masked gang who knifed 16-year-old Camron Smith to death in front of his mum in their home in Croydon, South London.
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Gordon was convicted of manslaughter at the Old Bailey on Thursday, becoming the fourth person to be found guilty for Camron’s death.
The brutal mob, who were “effectively hunting as a pack”, stormed the lad’s house on 1 July 2021, the court heard.
They kicked down a door, forced their way in, and chased Camron upstairs where he tried to barricade himself and his mum inside a bedroom.
In a desperate bid to protect her son, Audrey Johnson, reportedly tried to grab the attacker’s black serrated zombie knife.
Jurors also heard that Johnson stood in front of Camron with her arms outstretched in an attempt to save him.
But it wasn’t long before the thugs surrounded the 16-year-old and fatally stabbed him.
He was dressed in his underwear at the time.
Gordon, who was 17 at the time, was later spotted on CCTV fleeing in a taxi the group had stolen before their merciless attack.
He then dumped the knife in a nearby road.
Cops said the group had earlier held a knife to cabbie’s throat and made off with his car.
The masked thugs were later caught on CCTV, armed with knives, looking for people they believed were linked to the stabbing of one of their mates.
They stormed three homes in Croydon before making their way to Camron’s door on Bracken Avenue, cops said.
Gordon fled The Gambia before he could be arrested, the court heard.
Cops quickly issued an international arrest warrant and Gordon was returned to the UK.
He remained in custody before his trial.
‘SHOCKING’
More teens have been killed in the capital in the first six months of this year than in the whole of 2020.
A neighbour at the time said: “It must have happened so quickly.
“I didn’t hear anything last night. It’s absolutely shocking that a child like that could be killed on a doorstep.”
Neighbour Samantha Gail added: “It’s usually a quiet area. It’s so sad. This is such a friendly area where everyone is polite to each other and there is a real community feel.”
Pictures showed a huge cordon in place on the estate as police investigated the killing.
One local told MyLondon: “It’s continuous, people outside the house with knives, smoking weed, smashing bottles and now its led to a murder… it’s getting worse.
“Police were doing door to door enquires at half past 2 this morning. I didn’t see the commotion, all I heard was a helicopter going round and round and when I woke up, I saw loads of blue lights.
“I think London is getting worse in general.”
A Met Spokesperson said: “Camron was just 16 when his life was brutally ended in a frenzy of violence in his own home.
“Romario Gordon is the fourth person convicted over Camron’s killing. The path to justice in this case has been long, and our thoughts are with Camron’s family and friends, who have endured multiple trials.
“The injuries inflicted on Camron were shocking. From the very start, the investigation team was determined to get the people responsible off our streets.
“Despite the complexity of the investigation, and attempts to hinder our enquiries, we have succeeded in bringing him to justice.”
