Two teenagers who stabbed a young man 12 times over a family feud have been found guilty of his murder. Ryan Wedderburn, 18 and Kirk Harris, 19, attacked 21-year-old Robert Robinson on Carteret Way, in Surrey Quays, on June 6, 2024 after chasing him down the street with knives.
The pair decided to take revenge after two cars belonging to Wedderburn’s family were allegedly damaged by Robert’s friends earlier that day. Tensions had been high between the previously close groups following a falling out almost two years previously.
The dispute came to a head on the day of Robert’s murder when one of his friends allegedly had his bike stolen by a man known to be friends with Wedderburn. The victim, joined by Robert and others, went to Wedderburn’s house on Windlass Place hoping to retrieve it but no one answered the door.
This is when the cars owned by the Wedderburn family were vandalised. Shortly afterwards, Wedderburn and Harris, of Upper Brockley Road, approached Carteret Way armed with weapons.
The mother of Robert’s friend was on the phone to 999 at the time, reporting the earlier theft of the bike and her son being threatened. She, Robert and his friend fled the house in terror but an unarmed Robert was overpowered by Wedderburn and Harris and stabbed multiple times.
The teenagers then fled on foot and got into a waiting pre-arranged taxi booked by a friend. They were later caught on CCTV discarding their clothes and weapons in the River Thames.
Wedderburn and Harris handed themselves into police on June 17 and June 19, respectively. During their trial at the Old Bailey, both men admitted to stabbing Robert, with Wedderburn claiming self-defence and Harris claiming he did not intend to cause serious harm.
They were found guilty by a jury yesterday (May 13) and are due to be sentenced at the same court tomorrow. A 44-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder near Carteret Way shortly after the stabbing was acquitted.
Detective Inspector Neil Tovey from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “I am pleased that we have today secured justice for the family and friends of Robert. He was stabbed to death in a brutal attack in a residential road when numerous families would have been home.
“Robert was a young man who had his whole life ahead of him, it was instead taken away by Wedderburn and Harris in a senseless attack. Robert tried to run for his life, but was chased down and viciously attacked.
“This was a cowardly attack on Robert, who was outnumbered and unarmed. His family listened to the details of the attack and watched the CCTV of Robert’s last moments.
“They also heard the evidence from Wedderburn and Harris where they attempted to justify their actions. I am pleased that the jury agreed with the evidence we presented to the court to prove their guilt. I would like to pay tribute to the dignity that Robert’s family and friends have shown throughout the trial.”
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