Man convicted of manslaughter for stabbing to death Harold Hill teen Champion Ganda
17-year-old Champion Ganda. - Credit: Archant
A man has been convicted of the manslaughter of 17-year-old Champion Ganda, who died after being stabbed 11 times in the head, chest, arms and legs.
Amani Lynch, 20, of Vanguard Close, Canning Town, was found guilty of the manslaughter Champion Ganda at the Old Bailey. Picture: Metropolitan Police - Credit: Archant
Champion, of Harold Hill, was killed in May 2013 during a fight involving belts, a hammer and at least one knife, within metres of a primary school in Forest Gate, Newham.
Today at the Old Bailey, after more than a week of deliberating, a jury found Amani Lynch, 20, of Canning Town, guilty of manslaughter, but cleared him of murder.
He was also convicted of wounding another boy with intent.
Fellow defendants Devante Clifford, 21, also of Canning Town, and Marvin Simos, 20, of Woolwich, were cleared of all charges.
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Jurors heard how the defendants had taken a cab from Canning Town to Forest Gate where Simos was due to sign on for bail at the police station.
They saw Champion and his friend walking in the street and went to meet them “intent on violence”, the court had heard.
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Simon Denison QC said the defendants celebrated as they chased off the boys, who then returned.
The prosecutor said: “It was three on two, they were all fighting, no one was acting in self-defence. Belts were taken off and used as weapons, one of them had a hammer, at least one of the defendants had a knife.
“Champion Ganda was brought to the ground, he was kicked in the head and body and he was stabbed 11 times in the head, chest, arms and legs. He died in the street where he fell.”
Witnesses inside the school gates described Champion being stabbed on the ground by someone who looked like Lynch.
The fatal blow was to his right lung, which collapsed, jurors were told.
His 16-year-old friend, who refused to co-operate with police, was stabbed in the buttock and chest but survived the attack.
At the time of the attack on the afternoon of May 9, 2013, the defendants were aged just 16 and 17 years old, the court heard.
Jurors deliberated for eight days to return verdicts, and in an unusual move, Judge Wendy Joseph QC reminded them to be true to their oaths and to try the case on the evidence.
Lynch was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on March 24.
