Hippy crack killer, 15, who murdered 18-year-old peacemaker in late-night row outside McDonald’s is locked up for life
A hippy crack killer who murdered an 18-year-old ‘peacemaker’ to death after an argument broke out outside a McDonald’s takeaway has been locked up for life.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was told he would serve at least 15 years for murdering Ben Moncrieff – who was killed after intervening in a disagreement between teenagers in Bath city centre.
Bristol Crown Court heard the victim had been with friends in Bath on a night out before the stabbing in the early hours of Saturday, May 6.
Having left a club, they walked towards McDonald’s and encountered a group of males, including the defendant, who were in possession of balloons and suspected nitrous oxide gas cannisters. That group had arrived in a car shortly beforehand.
CCTV then showed a verbal confrontation between the defendant and one of Ben’s friends.
Ben is circled in blue while his killer, who is unnamed for legal reasons, is circled in red
Ben Moncrieff was stabbed once in the chest in Southgate Street at 3.30am on Saturday May 6, and despite the efforts of medics to save his life, he died at the scene
Jurors were told that Ben stepped in at that point to protect his friend, and a witness heard the defendant tell the victim to ‘come around the corner’.
The defendant, who is from south London, is then seen in footage to take a step back and drop a gas cannister as Ben approaches him, before pulling out the weapon and stabbing the 18-year-old to death.
He fled the scene and dumped the knife in a bin nearby, which was recovered by officers. He was arrested a short time later and made no comment during police interviews.
A murder investigation was launched and hours of footage were trawled through by detectives.
One CCTV camera showed the defendant lift up his top before the stabbing and reveal to people he had a bladed weapon tucked into his waistband.
During his evidence in court, the teenager stated he had taken the knife off of a boy of a similar age early in the day to protect them.
However, the prosecution presented the jury with social media videos of the defendant playing with a matching knife that had been recorded earlier that same week. The teenager told the court it was a different knife that happened to look identical.
The defendant was found guilty of murder by a jury after a six-day trial. He had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Ben was trying to protect his friend who was getting into a verbal fight with the killer
The teenage killer is seen on CCTV with balloons filled with hippy crack, also known as laughing gas or nos
Judge Peter Blair KC said no sentence could be considered long enough. He stressed that the defendant had gone out with a knife, while Ben’s hands were empty.
Ben’s mother Sharon Hendry also read an emotional personal statement to the court.
She said: ‘Ben filled our home with his friends, laughter, and made our home a happy place, full of life.’
Ms Hendry, who has also got a tattoo in his memory, recalled how Ben was a ‘hard-working’ son who cared deeply for his family and would cook a roast dinner for her and his girlfriend on Sundays.
She said: ‘Ben left looking smart and happy with his girlfriend. It was a rare night out for Ben – he only wanted to go to the pub with his friends.
‘I was called in the early hours and told that Ben had been stabbed.. I rushed to the scene and could only see Ben topless. His eyes were wide open and two paramedics taking turns to save Ben’s life.
‘When I looked into Ben’s eyes, there was no colour. The beautiful blue had gone. Ben looked straight through me.
‘I can still hear Ben’s laughter. He was always smiling… He was truly one in a million.
‘He is a huge loss to his many friends. I am so proud to be Ben Moncrieff’s mum’.
Jeremy Wainwright KC, defending, said the teenager had been diagnosed with ADHD and had acted ‘impulsively’ and had made ‘inappropriate decisions’.
‘He was out and about with at the time with older people who had possibly a negative effect upon him,’ he said.
Ben’s mother had said his death had caused ‘absolute devastation’ to their family
After the verdict Ben’s mother Sharon Hendry paid tribute to her son and said he was loved by everyone who knew him
‘It is very difficult during the course of the trial for expressions of remorse to take place but those who have spoken to him to say there is some level of awareness.’
Imposing a life sentence, Judge Blair said the youth would serve a minimum term of 15 years’ custody.
‘There have been some lovely things said about Ben Moncrieff in the impact statements, which I have read before coming into court and the one read by his mother in court.
‘The effect of Ben’s wholly unwarranted and untimely death has been completely devastating to the community of people he was a part of in Bath and his memory will live on,’ the judge said.
‘As a consequence, no one is going to remember the child in the dock whose senseless act has robbed them of a life.’
The judge added: ‘Ben Moncrieff intervened to calm it down but you wanted to show off and in an act of stupid childish bravado you didn’t want to forget.
‘I accept your contact with Ben Moncrieff was minimal, but you took a knife to the scene and it was your actions that led to a penetrating injury to his heart.’
Detective Inspector Mark Newbury, who led the investigation, said: ‘At 18 years old, Ben had his whole life ahead of him, but it was snatched away.
‘Tragically, Ben happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t know the defendant and was entirely blameless.
‘He was bravely standing up for a friend when the defendant made a conscious decision to pull out a knife and attack Ben knowing it would gravely injure him at the very least.
‘We believe the defendant sought to attempt to glorify knife crime by posing in social media videos in the days leading up to Ben’s death and also showing off he was carrying one in the minutes before he killed Ben.’
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