A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to life imprisonment and will be in prison for at least 20 years after being convicted of murdering Renell Charles, 16. Myglor Yambuya, of Libra Road, Plaistow stabbed Renell to death on a busy East London street as the victim waited for a bus.
At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday (March 14) Yambuya was sentenced after being convicted of the murder at the same court on February 2. At around 4pm on Friday, May 5 Renell was sitting at a bus stop on Markhouse Road, in Walthamstow, with friends when he was approached by Yambuya who had jumped out of a taxi after spotting him.
Following a brief verbal altercation between Renell and Yambuya, Renell attempted to run away, but the defendant gave chase. He was able to catch up with him and stabbed him twice – the second time as Renell lay defenceless on the ground.
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As Yambuya ran from the scene Renell got up, but collapsed nearby. Met Police officers and London Ambulance Service paramedics attended and provided medical assistance, but Renell died a short time later.
Following the fatal stabbing, Yambuya took deliberate steps to evade capture, immediately changing his clothes and swapping SIM cards. On the night of the murder instead of returning to his home in Newham, he stayed in Clapton, so when detectives turned up at his house on Saturday, May 6 he wasn’t there.
Then, in the early hours of Monday, May 8 he attended Forest Gate police station claiming to be confused as to why police had attended his address days earlier. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and charged later that day. After initially providing a “no comment” interview, he later claimed that he was in fear of the victim and had simply acted in self-defence.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers said: “My thoughts today are with Renell’s family and loved ones. They have been dignified and supportive throughout and I hope it is of some comfort to them his killer has been brought to justice. For reasons known only to him, Yambuya – just a child himself – subjected Renell to a brutal and unprovoked attack on a busy road in view of countless witnesses. To date, he has shown no remorse for his appalling actions.
“This is yet another example of a willingness by some to carry and use knives with seemingly no care or thought for the consequences. Such senseless acts of violence will never cease to shock us all, and in this case, made all the more tragic given Renell was so young.”
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