Owen Dunn trial: Two boys found guilty of murder of Swindon teen

Two teenagers have been found guilty of the murder of Owen Dunn in Swindon last year.

They were unanimously convicted of his murder by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday 30 November.

Tyler Hunt, 18, of Park South and a 15-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons were both found guilty of the murder after a trial that began on November 14.

Owen was cycling to his girlfriend's house in North Swindon when he was stabbed with a machete and the blade pierced his heart and lung.

The 18-year-old, described as a "loving" and "joyful" teenager by those who knew him, was just weeks away from celebrating his 19th birthday when he was killed.

His death on the afternoon of 4 December 2022 shocked the community and left his family and friends devastated.

CCTV footage shown during the trial at Bristol Crown Court shows 18-year-old Tyler Hunt and his 15-year-old friend riding electric bikes through Haydon End, with machetes hidden in their trousers, concealed in sheaths.

Hunt told the court he was out selling cannabis and looking for customers near the Orbital Shopping Centre, when they came across Owen who was also wearing a balaclava and carrying a knife down his trousers.

The defendants claimed they had seen Owen riding towards them and thought he was going to attack them, drawing their machetes to scare him.

Owen was stabbed by the 15-year-old boy. The single stab wound to Owen's chest several inches deep caused catastrophic bleeding.

Despite members of the public performing CPR and the efforts of paramedics, Owen's wound was so severe he couldn't be saved.

Both teenagers had earlier pleaded guilty to possession of a knife. They have been remanded in custody to await sentencing.