FIVE TEENAGERS have been found guilty at the Old Bailey of killing Daniel Frederick, 34, in Hackney on 8th January. The Court heard it was a case of “mistaken identity”.
The young men were put on trial at the Old Bailey. The Court was told that the police had seen, from their mobile phone records, that all five teens had had a great deal of contact with each other before the killing. They had all dumped their mobiles and obtained new numbers afterwards. The jury took 14 hours and 45 minutes to reach the following verdicts, and the five guilty men will return to the Old Bailey for sentencing on a date yet to be announced.
•Kacper Karasinski (pictured), 18, of Mount Pleasant Lane, Hackney, and a 17-year-old male from Ilford were unanimously found guilty of murder. DNA from both of them was found at the scene of the killing. The day after the murder, Karasinski booked a flight to Oslo. In addition, a 16-year-old male from Hackney had pleaded guilty to murder on 12th June, before the trial. The 16 year old had left London shortly after the murder, going to stay in Bedfordshire.
•Yigiter Gok (pictured), 18, of Sanford Walk, N16, and a 17-year-old male from Hackney were both found not guilty of the murder but guilty of manslaughter by a majority jury (11-1). Two days after the killing, Gok took a ferry to France, from where he made his way to Turkey. Shortly after the killing, the 17 year old left London and went to Stevenage.
Daniel Frederick was found with stab wounds in Shakespeare Walk, Hackney, N16 in the early evening of 8th January. He was taken by the London Ambulance Service to an East London hospital, but he died just before midnight from a stab wound to the left lung.
It was revealed that Daniel had spent the day at hospital with his partner, who was pregnant, and had returned home intending to meet up with a friend to play computer games. He was set upon very suddenly by five hooded men who came up behind him, stabbed him and then, after he had fallen to the ground, kicked and punched him.
The stabbed took place in front of children on a busy street. The attackers ran off when they were challenged by a member of the public.
Detective Inspector Paul Considine, the senior investigating officer from the Metropolitan Police Homicide and Major Crime Command, said, “This was a ruthless, violent and unprovoked attack in which Daniel stood no chance. He was completely taken by surprise by his attackers who cowardly stabbed him in the back giving him no opportunity to defend himself.
“All five defendants disguised and armed themselves and willingly carried out a brutal attack on Daniel knowing it was likely there would only be one outcome, the infliction of very serious injuries or death.
“This was a complex investigation made more difficult as Daniel was mistakenly targeted by his attackers. My team diligently pieced together the evidence and then located, arrested and charged all those responsible for his death. I am delighted that the jury has convicted the defendants and hope it provides Daniel’s family with a small measure of comfort and closure.”
•Read more about this story: Daniel Frederick: fifth man in court
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