Romario Gordon, 22, was part of a gang which stole a cab in Streatham before breaking into three homes in Croydon
A 22-year-old was part of a gang responsible for stabbing a Croydon schoolboy to death before fleeing to The Gambia. Romario Gordon, of St Helens Grove in Milton Keynes, was part of a gang that embarked on a violent spree across South London on July 1, 2021, following the stabbing of their friend Jerome Taylor on June 30 in Croydon.
They stole a cab and then broke into three homes, the last of which was where 16-year-old Camron Smith lived. The court heard how Gordon and his fellow gang members kicked down Camron’s door and chased him into his mother’s bedroom before brutally stabbing him to death. The spree of attacks began on the evening of June 30 when Romario Gordon, along with Romain La Pierre, 23, Jordan Tcheuko, 22 and two teenagers not named for legal reasons, called a cab to Fieldend Road in Streatham.
When the taxi arrived, the group held a knife to the driver’s throat and then made off in his car. The next movements of the group were captured on CCTV recovered by investigators.
Armed with knives, they went looking for people associated with the stabbing of Jerome Taylor in Pawson’s Road earlier that afternoon. The first of three homes they broke into was not occupied by the person they were looking for, and the resident awoke to find a masked male in her bedroom.
The group gained access to the second address they visited but left within seconds, then moved on to the third address, where Camron lived in Bracken Avenue, and stabbed him to death. Police and paramedics were called shortly before 12.50am, but Camron sadly died at the scene.
Detectives were able to link the gang to the attack through DNA recovered from the stolen cab. This was found abandoned in Hastings Road, Lower Addiscombe. Gordon fled to The Gambia in West Africa via Heathrow Airport two days after the fatal stabbing on July 3 2021. The Metropolitan Police issued an international arrest warrant, before Gordon returned to the UK in August 2023 and was arrested. On Thursday, September 25, a jury at the Old Bailey found Gordon guilty of manslaughter.
Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend, from Specialist Crime South, said: “Camron was just 16 when his life was brutally ended in a frenzy of violence in his own home. Romario Gordon is the fourth person convicted over Camron’s killing. The path to justice in this case has been long, and our thoughts are with Camron’s family and friends, who have endured multiple trials.
“The injuries inflicted on Camron were shocking. From the very start, the investigation team was determined to get the people responsible off our streets. Despite the complexity of the investigation, and attempts to hinder our enquiries, we have succeeded in bringing him to justice.”
Full gang put to justice
Romain La Pierre, 23, of Celia Road, Islington, and Jordan Tcheuko, 22, of St Johns Road, Wembley, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, December 2, 2023, where La Pierre was jailed for life with a minimum of 28 years’ imprisonment for murder and robbery. At the same hearing, Tcheuko was sentenced to 14 years in prison for manslaughter. They had been convicted at the same court on October 26, 2023.
A 16-year-old boy from Croydon, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for eight years for manslaughter and robbery following a trial in February 2023. Another 16-year-old boy from Coulsdon, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for 18 months for robbery following a trial in July 2022.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
