Osman Bangura guilty of murdering schoolboy Yemurai Kanyangarara

Yemurai, aged 16 from Belvedere, was stabbed in the neck on July 1 last year, in Upper Wickham Lane, Welling.

The Old Bailey trial, which began four weeks ago, heard Yemurai and three friends boarded a number 96 bus at Bexleyheath shopping centre travelling towards Welling.

Unbeknown to them, the three defendants were on another 96 bus in front.

Jurors were told 16-year-old Osman Bangura walked over to Yemurai and stabbed him in the neck.

The murder weapon has never been found but 15-year-old Isaac Walters' DNA was on the blade of another knife found by police along the defendant’s alleged escape route.

While giving evidence he claimed he found the knife "on some ledge" while waiting for the 96 bus in Dartford.

After a week of deliberating, a jury of eight men and four women found Bangura guilty of murder and Walters not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

A third boy, aged 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was acquitted.

The court heard Bangura had been attacked by members of the Cherry Boys gang on June 28, three days before Yemurai was killed.

On July 1 the defendants were travelling to Plumstead Police Station via Dartford to identify his alleged attackers.

It was during this journey that Yemurai was fatally stabbed.

Mr Finnigan said: "It seems to be an appointment he was determined to keep irrespective of events on this day.

"He went straight from Welling High Street to get to Plumstead Police Station and that’s where he appeared."

He added: "At Plumstead Police Station this young man coolly went through the procedure of identifying those who he said had attacked him on June 28.

"None of those persons were Yemurai or his friends on the bus."

"He was calm. He was amicable. There was nothing in his demeanour that alerted a police officer he had just been involved in this dreadful incident.

"He said nothing about it, not a word. In fact the police officer, doing his best to assist this man, actually drove him home."

Bangura of Wilmot Close, Camberwll, and Walters, of Marchwood Close, Peckham, will both be sentenced on June 6.

Time line

Early June last year - There is a confrontation outside the defendants' school with another group of boys. Police split it up and everyone goes their separate ways.

June 28 - The defendants are chased by members of the Cherry Boys gang. Bangura receives a stab wound to the forehead.

July 1 - Yemurai is stabbed to death in Welling. The defendants travel to Brighton.

July 8 - By now all the defendants have been arrested and charged with Yemurai's murder.

September 8 - Hundreds of people attend Yemurai's funeral at St Mary the Virgin Church, in Wickham Street, Welling.

March 27 - The defendants go on trial at the Old Bailey charged with Yemurai's murder.

April 19 - Jury considers its verdict for all three defendants.

April 26 - Verdict returned.

Osman Bangura

The 16-year-old, from Camberwell, was 15 at the time of the attack.

He had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter but this was not accepted by the prosecution.

While giving evidence during the trial he apologised to Yemurai’s family.

Philip Katz, defending him, told the court: "He was not crying crocodile tears when he apologised to the family of Yemurai for what he had done."

Jurors heard from an 18-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who was travelling towards Welling on the same 96 bus as the defendants.

He told the court that he saw Walters stand up when the bus reached Bexleyheath clock tower and Bangura also stood up to look out of the window.

The witness says he heard Walters say "I swear that’s…".

He told jurors: "I didn’t hear a name."

Speaking about Bangura, the witness told the court: "He said ‘I’m going to stab him’."

The witness claims he then heard Walters ask Bangura if he had a knife, to which he replied ‘yes’.

Isaac Walters

The 15-year-old defendant gave evidence during the trial on April 13.

Miranda Moore, who was defending him, asked him how he felt about what had happened.

He replied: "It was an unfortunate event and it shouldn’t have happened."

Jurors heard he was 14-years-old at the time of the incident and was living with his mum and step-dad in Peckham.

He had sat his GCSEs early in triple science, geography and English and hoped to go to college and eventually university to study aerospace engineering or coaching.

The court heard he had a previous conviction for theft, aged 13.

Mother of Yemurai Kanyangarara pays tribute to her son