Four teenagers convicted of murder and manslaughter of Kennie Carter

The mother of Kennie Carter, who was stabbed to death, says "life has stopped" for her family, following her son's murder.

A 16-year-old boy has been found guilty of murdering Kennie, and three other boys were found guilty of manslaughter.

The 11-week trial at Manchester Crown Court also found six others aged between 15 and 19 not guilty.

Latif Ferguson, 18, of Old Trafford who was found guilty of manslaughter is the only one who can be legally named.

Kennie was 16 when he was killed by a single stab wound to the chest while he was walking home along Thirlmere Avenue in Stretford, only one street away from his home on 22 January 2022.

Specialist officers and detectives spent thousands of hours collating and reviewing CCTV footage, mobile data and witness accounts. This allowed them to determine a group of boys travelled from Hulme to Stretford on the evening of Kennie's murder following an incident the night before.

They went to a block of flats where they knew Kennie's friends would typically hang out and stole three bikes. A witness heard them shout 'this is revenge'.

Kennie was made aware they were in the area and headed home but when he passed the group on Moss Road, he became their focus.

The boys ran from the scene, with none of them calling for an ambulance or trying to help him.

Officers were told a boy was fighting for his life on the street and performed CPR before paramedics arrived to take him to hospital, where he later died.

Over 20 warrants were executed in the investigation and numerous public appeals, including the offer of a £50,000 reward.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola McCulloch from our Major Incident Team said: “Firstly, I would like to express my deepest condolences to Kennie’s mum Joan and dad Glen, his wider family and friends as well as the rest of the Carter family.

“It’s been nearly two-and-a-half years since Kennie was taken from them in this spiteful attack, and it has been extremely difficult for them in court. They’ve had to watch and listen to Kennie’s last moments many times; something no family should have to experience.

“This case serves as a sobering reminder of the destruction carrying and using knives can cause, not only has one boy lost his life, but since that tragic evening many more have been irreversibly impacted.

“I would like to thank the entire team for their hard work and dedication throughout this complex investigation. I would also like to express my gratitude for the CPS and prosecution who have worked closely with us.”

Paying tribute to her son, Joan said: “Kennie brightened up every day with his cheeky smile and his bubbly personality, he was always acting daft, telling jokes and generally being a 16-year-old boy, he had everything to live for.

“He was our baby, the youngest of our four children, and just starting out in life. He had so many plans for his future, he was about to start applying for college, wanting to design artwork on cars.

“He was a very talented artist; I hadn’t realised how artistic he was until one of his teachers showed us his drawings and they were genuinely impressive.

“Life since the day of his murder has not been the same, we all miss Kennie so much, every day I wake up thinking of him, I dream about him regularly.

“We are still stuck on the day Kennie was killed and I feel people are moving on and forgetting about our Kennie. Life has stopped for us and will never ever be the same.”

Sentencing will take place on Friday 26 July 2024.