Boy, 17, jailed for 12 years after stabbing Dagenham teenager to death

Beatrice Mushiya has campaigned against knife crime since Duran's fatal stabbing in Dagenham (Image: Archant)

Duran Kajiama Makongolo was fatally stabbed in Church Street, Dagenham, at 6.20pm on Saturday, November 12, and was pronounced dead at 3.25am on Sunday, November 13.

The teenager who stabbed him was jailed on Friday, June 21, at the Old Bailey, with Duran’s mum Beatrice Mushiya telling the Post the senseless killing had robbed her of a gentle son.

“It doesn’t make sense to me,” the 52-year-old said. “I’ll never see my son, I’ll never see him have children and I’ll never see him get married.

“I’m going to miss my son, we were very close.”

The killer, who was 16 when he stabbed Duran, was convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility and acquitted of murder on Wednesday, June 28.

After the killing, he tried to flee the country using his Nigerian passport and was arrested at Heathrow Airport trying to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Lagos.

Duran’s friend was stabbed three times in the attack, but survived his injuries.

Det Ch Ins Dave Whellams called the stabbing “brutal and senseless” after it emerged that it occurred as Duran and his friend were walking to get food at Pizza Go Go in Church Elm Lane, Dagenham, and became involved in a row.

“There was absolutely no need for a verbal dispute to escalate to any sort of violence,” he said. “The use of a knife tragically and needlessly transformed what may have been an altercation and a scuffle into a horrific act of violence leading to the death of one teenager and serious injuries to his friend.

“My thoughts are with Duran’s family and with the friend who was seriously injured on the night of the attack. I hope this conviction provides some measure of comfort for them.”

On Monday, July 24, Beatrice agreed there was “no excuse” for knife crime and has been campaigning against it since Duran died aged just 17 from a single stab wound to his abdomen.

“Life is so precious,” she said. “It [knife crime] needs to stop.”

Two 16-year-old boys were acquitted of murder and manslaughter in the trial and the court imposed a £30 victim surcharge at the 17-year-old’s sentencing.