Man guilty of 'cowardly and shocking' murder of 14-year-old Jaden Moodie

11 December 2019, 16:04

Jaden Moodie was stabbed to death in the street by Ayoub Majdouline
Jaden Moodie was stabbed to death in the street by Ayoub Majdouline. Picture: PA and Met Police

By Asher McShane

A man has been found guilty of the county lines murder of 14-year-old Jaden Moodie in a London street.

Ayoub Majdouline, 19, was found guilty of stabbing the teenager to death in Leyton in January after he was knocked off a moped.

CCTV footage was played in court of Jaden being catapulted over the car's bonnet then subjected to a frenzied attack on the evening of January 8.

His mother was reduced to tears as the CCTV was played in court.

Jaden's family called out "yes" in emotional scenes at the Old Bailey as Majdouline was found guilty of murder and possession of a blade by a majority of 11 to one.

The jury had deliberated for nine hours and 22 minutes.

Judge Richard Marks QC said Majdouline would be sentenced on Wednesday.

The court heard how drug dealer Majdouline was one of five youths linked to the 'Mali Boys' gang.

On the night of Jaden's death, the gang had been looking for members of the Beaumont Crew gang to attack.

During the trial, Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow QC said: "14 seconds was all it took - Jaden did not stand a chance."

He told jurors the "cowardly" attack was part of a "shocking wave of gang crime" across London that attracted ever younger people.

He said: "It is hard to believe that anyone, least of all teenagers who have only just become adults, could attack another human being in the way that this defendant and his accomplices set upon Jaden.

"No-one who watched the CCTV of Jaden's attackers driving into him and then butchering him with their knives could fail to be disgusted by the injuries inflicted upon him."

Jurors heard how the attackers had gone to great lengths to disguise themselves, covering their heads and hands.

As they calmly walked off, they threw away a knife and a pair of yellow rubber gloves which were recovered from a drain the next day, both of which had Jaden's blood and the defendant's DNA on them.

Burnt clothes, including Nike trainers Majdouline had been seen wearing on CCTV the day before the attack, were later found in a churchyard, jurors heard.

The court was also told how Majdouline had a "troubled upbringing" and turned to county lines dealing "to survive", being identified as a victim of "modern slavery" in 2018, amid concerns of exploitation by older youths.

Jurors also learned that Jaden had been in trouble with police since he was a 13-year-old for drugs and weapons offences.

The court was also told how gang members had "terrorised" the Moodie family in the months before his murder.

His mother, Jada Bailey, had called police after an older youth arrived on her doorstep and demanded money on January 8 2018 - exactly a year before Jaden's murder.

She told officers that the 16-year-old gang member had told her Jaden owed him money and "something would happened to her or her son if they did not pay".

On July 18 last year, Ms Bailey complained to social services that she had been forced to hand over £300 to get rid of boys from her doorstep and how a youth had turned up at her daughter's work and threatened her and her family in the month before.