The sun beat down on Moss Side as Manchester's Caribbean Carnival made its long-awaited return. Restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic meant 2022's event was the first to be held in two years.
Around 40,000 people attended over two days for a colourful celebration of Manchester’s rich Caribbean and African history - with dancing, steel drums and vibrant parades. It was a celebration of everything good about Moss Side.
But as the sun went down, with the party in full swing, chaos broke out. The balmy August weekend ended in confusion and tragedy.
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The tireless work of volunteers, community groups and Xcalibre, GMP's anti-gang unit, has gone a long way to transform Moss Side's streets - to rid the area of the reputation it had in the 1990s and 2000s. That stigma has largely faded into memory.
Just after midnight on the final day of the event, as revellers attended the post-Carnival party, terror punctuated the end of what had been a peaceful, joyous celebration.
CCTV footage released for the first time shows mass panic after a gun was fired, moments before a young man was stabbed to death. It was a miracle no-one else was caught in the crossfire.
One woman, in her 50s, had attended with her daughter and some friends. When she arrived, she had no idea she'd become a witness to murder.
"We were all drinking and enjoying ourselves and stuff like that," she said. "We just heard a bit of like a ruption and then I looked back and I saw a lot of people running towards us.
"I said, 'oh my god what’s happened'? I heard a couple of shots, to be honest I never thought it was shots, because sometimes they do tend to let off fireworks as well."
Her testimony at the subsequent murder trial brought to mind gangland killings which helped Moss Side gain its unwanted reputation of years gone by. But last summer, it was not young men from Manchester who were responsible for the horror on its streets.
A group of young men from Huddersfield had travelled along the M62, across the Pennines. When they clashed, that is exactly what happened. The witness saw it unfold in front of her. "He [Doughty] just took out a samurai sword," she said.
"I have never seen a sword like that before. I was like 'oh my God, oh my God', I was shaking. I was in total shock.
"I was in total shock at what had just happened in front of me." She saw Javell Morgan, a 20-year-old man from Huddersfield, lie dying on the floor.
"I just started crying," she said. "It was the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I couldn't believe what I was seeing."
Javell, who was born and raised in West Yorkshire, died on the streets of Moss Side in the early hours of August 15 last year. He was caught in the middle of a senseless rivalry. No motive has has ever been put forward for the murder.
A judge said the killing had 'obvious gang overtones', but highlighted a lack of clear evidence to assign any membership. He was attacked as the carnival continued past midnight, with street parties and drinks being enjoyed.
Javell was unarmed and was holding a cup himself. The two rival groups became aware of each other and a deadly chain of events was set in motion.
Three young men who had travelled to Manchester with Javell, Mikyle Bucknor, 19 and Karmarni Batler, 20, both had handguns. Harlan Richards, 19, had a sawn off shotgun. At one point, caught on the CCTV footage, Bucknor pointed his gun at Simeon Baptiste, who was with the rival group.
A friend of his struck out and caused his aim to move, the bullet missing Baptiste and hitting the floor. Pandemonium ensued, as revellers desperately tried to get away.
But in the chaos, two men ran into the face of danger. Jacob Doughty and Deontay Crosfield wanted their revenge. Both armed with weapons, Doughty, a sword, and Crosfield, a knife, they chased down their rivals.
Javell was the only one caught - and paid with his life. He was stabbed five times, Doughty inflicting the fatal blow with a severe stab wound to his back using the sword.
"For residents to wake up in the morning to this, it shouldn't be happening," local councillor Dr Erinma Bell said at the time. She more than most knows the devastation that can be caused by gun crime.
She once witnessed a close friend being shot. They survived, and in response set up Carisma, an organisation designed to help young people find positive alternatives to prevent them from becoming involved in crime.
Dr Bell added: "The carnival has been great, Saturday was great - 24,000 went in and came out safely, it's a well managed event. It's all about people's safety and enjoying it. When this happens right at the end of the weekend, it's so unfortunate."
Over the other side of the Pennines, Javell's death was starting to create ripples which will remain with his family for years to come. His mother Vicky said she will be forever haunted by receiving the phone call, informing her that her son was dead, and of kissing his 'cold face'.
Her close-knit family, including his three young sisters, will never get over their tragic loss. "Our thoughts remain with Javell’s loved ones who have been devastated by his murder," Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, of Greater Manchester Police, said after Friday's sentencing hearing.
"Though this won’t heal their broken hearts, I hope they find some closure in people being brought to justice.
"With assistance from West Yorkshire Police, officers from GMP’s Major Incident Team completed fast-paced but thorough enquiries to identify Crosfield and Doughty so they could be put behind bars, where violent killers belong. During an intricate search of the area, officers also recovered the knife which inflicted the fatal injuries on Javell – preventing its use to injure another individual.
"Caribbean Carnival is a key event, where Greater Manchester’s communities come together to celebrate diversity. GMP will not tolerate serious violent crime at this event or any other and officers will continue to work with partner agencies to keep people safe."
On Friday, Doughty, 22, of Ponyfield Close, Huddersfield; and Crosfield, 22, of Rawthorpe Crescent, Huddersfield, were both sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murder following a trial. Doughty will serve a minimum of 21 years and Crosfield 20.
Mr Baptiste, 24, of Wellfield Bank, Huddersfield; Mr Blackburn, 21, of Towngate, Huddersfield; and another man, Byron Goodhall, 23, of Dalmeny Avenue, Huddersfield, also stood trial and were found not guilty of murder and manslaughter.
Following a second crown court trial, Bucknor, of Farrar Drive, Huddersfield, and Batler, of Belle Vue Crescent, Huddersfield, were convicted of attempting to murder Mr Baptiste. Harlan Richards, of Trafalgar Close, Huddersfield, was found not guilty of attempted murder but guilty of possessing of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The three men will be sentenced in July.
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