A man who stabbed an Islington teenager to death after refusing to let him attend a party at his house has been found guilty of murder.
Jemal Williams, 20, stabbed 17-year-old Waitrose worker and college student Shaquan Sammy-Plummer, of Parkside Crescent, Finsbury Park, to death outside his home in Berkley Gardens in Enfield on the evening of January 20.
Mr Sammy-Plummer had been invited to the party by the defendant’s sister’s boyfriend.
Williams then demanded that Mr Sammy-Plummer, who was with two friends, hand over the bag he was carrying containing drinks and snacks they had just bought for the party. When Mr Sammy-Plummer refused and walked away Williams chased him down the street and stabbed him once in the chest, piercing his heart, before fleeing the scene.
Those nearby initially thought he had just been punched. It was only when he stumbled and collapsed in the driveway of a neighbouring house that his friends realised what had happened.
Local residents came to help until paramedics arrived but Mr Sammy-Plummer died soon after arriving at the Royal London Hospital.
Williams handed himself in to police on February 9 last year. He was bailed, but arrested again in October after he was named as the killer by a witness.
During the trial Williams claimed Mr Sammy-Plummer had come after him with a knife.
The defendant alleged all he had done was grab the teenager’s hands and push him away.
Williams will be sentenced tomorrow.
Det Ch Insp Jamie Piscopo, from the Met’s homicide and major crime command, said: “The death of Shaquan was a meaningless tragedy. Even when he was turned away from the party, he made no fuss and was in the process of leaving when Williams decided he needed to teach him a lesson.
“This has been a complex and lengthy investigation with an overwhelming wall of silence preventing us from bringing Williams to justice sooner.
“We understand people might be scared to come forward but we will do everything we can to offer reassurance and support and ensure dangerous men like Williams are dealt with as they should be and families like Shaquan’s can be given some closure.”
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