Leicester: Group guilty of killing Junior Osborne in attack

Five people have been found guilty of their roles in the murder of Junior Osborne in Leicester.

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of his murder at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday, while four others were convicted of manslaughter.

Mr Osborne, 50, was stabbed in the neck on Narborough Road shortly after 9.30pm BST on September 27, police said.

He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary but died about an hour later.

All five defendants were found guilty of possessing a bladed article.

Among those convicted of manslaughter are another 16-year-old, who also cannot be named for legal reasons; James Williams, 18, of Pelham Way, Leicester; Moises Steiner, 18, of Dovedale Road in Thurmaston; and Theobald Budzwa, 18, of Ash Court, Groby.

The verdicts came after a five-week trial, with the five defendants due to be sentenced on June 11.

The investigation was led by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) Major Crime Squad.

Key CCTV footage showed the group attacking Mr Osborne after chasing him, police said.

Key witnesses were then interviewed as detectives reviewed the footage to identify those involved.

Police said they found videos of the group wielding large knives after examining Steiner’s phone, which also provided a close-up view of their clothing, which meant they could be matched to the group shown in CCTV footage of the attack.

Det Insp Mark Parish, from EMSOU, said: “One of the boys admitted stabbing Junior but tried to argue that he only intended to injure him and not kill him, which I don’t think is true .

“His actions – along with the rest of the group – were caught on CCTV.

“I firmly believe this was a planned and coordinated attack to kill Junior.

“I hope his loved ones feel that justice has been done and that the group will now serve substantial prison terms.”