Horrifying audio reveals the moment a mum told 999 that her son had 'killed someone'.
Joshua Delbono, 19, was found guilty by unanimous verdict on Tuesday for the murder of 16-year-old Charley Bates, who he stabbed to death over a £20 debt.
He has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.
The teen knifed his victim in the heart following a fistfight in a public car park in the centre of Radstock, Somerset, on July 31, 2022 following an argument between two rival gangs.
After Delbono got home around midnight, his mum rang 999 and turned him in to the police - before handing the phone over the her murderer son for him to speak to them himself.
In audio footage from the call played in Bristol Crown Court this week, his mum could be heard saying: "My son's killed someone.
"It was at Radstock earlier. He's just come back and I've found out.
"He's in my house now but I can't let him go anywhere."
Asked by the operator if her son knew she had called the police, she said "Yeah, he's here. I've told him I've got to do it", before passing him the phone soon afterwards.
Her son then told 999 about his victim: "I don't know anything about him at all.
"I went in to help my mate. I thought 'I'm not getting stabbed'."
Delbono went on to falsely claim he had thrown the knife away at the scene and it may have ended up under a car, later admitting during the trial that he had thrown it into Shearwater Lake.
Officers arrested Delbono on suspicion of murder a short time later.
At court he admitted stabbing Charley but denied murder, claiming he had acted to defend a friend.
A pathologist told the court his victim sustained a stab wound to his chest, plus a wound to his arm which was consistent with him trying to defend himself.
Delbono quickly left the scene after stabbing Charley and travelled about half an hour away to Shearwater Lake where he burned clothes he had been wearing. Police later discovered this had been captured on a mobile phone.
Prosecuting, Adam Vaitilingam KC had told the trial Charley had been hanging around with a group of seven friends that afternoon in a car park by the library.
He added: "It started as a one on one fist fight but eventually it escalated. The passenger got out and so did one or two of Charley's friends However, at that stage, the defendant was not involved and was sitting in his car.
"But at some point in the fight, the defendant got out of the second car, had a knife, walked over to where the fight was happening and stabbed Charley several times, including in the chest."
Avon and Somerset Police DCI Mark Almond said after the case: "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Charley's family who have experienced unimaginable pain over the past nine months. They continue to grieve for Charley and we are offering them support through our specially-trained officers.
"Charley had his whole life ahead of him and it was cut short by Joshua Delbono. The vigil held in his memory in Radstock in the days after this senseless tragedy highlights how his death affected the community and how popular a person he was."
