A killer who laughed as he brutally murdered a rival in the street due to a gang conflict is facing a life sentence in jail. Javell Morgan, 20, was stabbed to death last summer in Moss Side, Manchester when two rival outfits clashed.
Jacob Doughty, 21, stabbed Morgan in the back with a 'samurai sword' after a gun was fired as the two rival groups collided. Doughty was said to be 'laughing' when he killed the 20-year-old, and was 'hugging and shaking hands' after, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The attack took place at Manchester's Caribbean Carnival before Doughty and Deontay Crosfield, 22, who became 'entangled' with Javell in a brawl before he was killed, were convicted of murder at Manchester Crown Court.
Three other young men - Byron Goodhall, 23, Simeon Baptiste, 24, and Darius Blackburn, 21 - also stood trial and were found not guilty of murder and manslaughter. Three other men were on trial accused of attempting to murder Mr Baptiste in the same incident that saw Mr Morgan die.
Following a separate trial, Mikyle Bucknor, 19 and Karmarni Batler, 20 - who were both armed with guns - were convicted of attempted murder. Harlan Richards, 19, was found not guilty of attempted murder.
The seven-week murder trial, which until the conclusion of two crown court trials could not be reported on, began in February and concluded on April 14.
Trial judge Suzanne Goddard KC excused the jury from service again if they were summonsed. At the murder trial, prosecutor John Elvidge KC said the killing unfolded at a street party on Claremont Road in Moss Side, after the carnival had finished on August 15.
He told jurors: "On Sunday, August 14, a mass of revellers gathered outside the Claremont pub and J’s Takeaway shop. A DJ booth was set up and the street was packed with people of all ages enjoying themselves, listening and dancing to music, eating and drinking and soaking up the atmosphere.
"Amongst that crowd were two groups of young men. Each group had travelled from Huddersfield. These defendants were part of one group. Javell Morgan, aged 20, was part of the other group. Both chose to attend, armed with lethal weapons, namely guns and knives.
"These were the lethal weapons they carried to use. It was shortly after midnight on August 15 when these opposing teams got into conflict on Claremont Road. The Crown says this was gang violence. It was all over in minutes.
"It involved one side attacking the other, armed with guns and the other side counter attacking with knives. The prosecution say, like a pack they chased their adversaries down Claremont Road.
"Javell Morgan was the only member of his team caught. The killing of him was an immediate act of retribution."
The court heard that about midnight both groups were outside J's Takeaway on Claremont Road having been at the after party. Mr Elvidge said: "A by-stander heard one of the members of the opposing team say to another 'there’s ops right there, I see ops right there'."
In the following moments a brawl ensued, in which Mr Morgan was killed. The court heard Bucknor pointed a loaded handgun at Mr Baptiste but as he moved forward, Mr Blackburn struck out at his arm and the gun was fired into the ground.
"The tables turned in an instant," Mr Elvidge said. The group were then chased down by Doughty and Crosfield, until Doughty cornered Javell and attacked him with the blade, which a witness described as looking like a 'samurai sword'.
He was able to run a short distance before collapsing with police officers nearby. The prosecutor added: "Javell Morgan was left with a fatal injury to his back, several stab wounds to his left and right thigh."
Doughty was seen to throw the sword into a backyard behind a pub after the attack. He then walked back to the road, hugged one person and shook the hands of another, Mr Elvidge told the court. Police recovered the weapon the following day as Doughty was later arrested. Crosfield tried to flee from officers when they arrived to arrest him.
Doughty told the jury he acted in self defence. He said: "I just swung the knife. The blade was sticking up. I think it hit him in the upper body.
"I don’t think it had any effect. I don’t know if he was injured. I was in the moment, it was a very mad situation at the time. I believed he was trying to attack me."
Doughty and Crosfield, will be sentenced later this month and both face life sentences.
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