Knife obsessions of Abbey Wood killers revealed in previous stabbings

Alagie Jobe, Hussain Bah, Jake Debonsu and Sammie Shallangwa were all given life sentences for the murders of Charlie Bartolo and Kearne Solanke on Sewell Road. 

All four of them had been involved in knife crime incidents or had demonstrated a fascination with knives in the months before the killings on November 26, 2022. 

Seven months before the murders, Bah, aged 19, was at a chicken shop on Lee High Road when a fight broke out. 

Bah removed a large zombie knife from his waistband and lunged into the fight, accidentally stabbing one of his own friends. 

He was found guilty of wounding with intent in October 2022, a month before Charlie and Kearne were killed. 

Meanwhile in May 2022, a police raid of 19-year-old Jobe’s home revealed a rambo knife in his bedroom. 

Three weeks before the murders, Shallangwa was involved in the stabbing of another 16-year-old. 

On April 25, 2022, Shallangwa and another male approached the victim as he was leaving school. 

They then punched the 16-year-old in the head and when he fell to the floor they pulled out knives and stabbed him in the leg. 

The investigation into Charlie and Kearne’s murders also revealed that Shallangwa had videos and images of himself holding a zombie knife on the day before the killings. 

Charlie Bartolo pictured with his mum Emma (Image: Supplied)

It was also revealed that Debonsu had a previous conviction for possession of a bladed article. 

In prison calls Debonsu admitted that he regular carried knives. 

During their sentencing hearings, Judge Neil Garnham KC called for an end to knife crime “lunacy”. 

He said: “I add my voice to the many others about the dreadful consequences of the culture of knife carrying and knife glorification which affects so many of our cities.    

“The lunacy of young men carrying knives on our streets, often under the pretense of protecting themselves, has led to two more ghastly tragedies which have played out in this trial.”