Kairon Sawyers has been sentenced to nine years after his manslaughter conviction following the death of Dontae Davis. The teenager was found guilty of manslaughter today (April 26) for his involvement in the death of 18-year-old Dontae, who died following a stab wound in October 2021.
Sawyers, 19, of Ewell Road, Whitchurch, was given nine years in a young offenders institute for his manslaughter conviction and a concurrent 12 months for his possession of a bladed article. The court heard that the fatal stabbing occurred after a knife fight in an alley between youths from rival groups - the 16s and 24s - at around 6.20pm on October 14.
Sawyers was charged with murder following the incident but was found not guilty of the allegation, and told the jury that he acted in self defence and that he was the victim of a stabbing. But passing the sentence, Judge Blair QC told Sawyers: "This city has had enough of the violence between young people affiliated with the 16 and 24 groups. This is the second or third death which has resulted from knife violence."
