The teenage knifeman who killed a young man with a mental age of nine in a street mugging was jailed for at least 15 years at the Old Bailey today.
Jamal Jones, 17, was told he had “imposed a life sentence of grief” on the family of “kind, innocent and vulnerable” Dean Mayley.
But Judge Martin Zeidman QC added that Jones’s three accomplices “all have blood on their hands.”
He told them: “You can’t put the clock back but I have a job for each of you – you have the chance to keep Dean’s memory alive by telling others about the lessons of this case.
“You need to scream from the rooftops , and it can be put shortly, ‘knives destroy lives and knife crime equals prison.’ Your task is to see if you can fell that message to anyone who can listen.”
Mr Mayley, 24, was attacked in broad daylight in Greenford in February and the stabbing caught on CCTV brought gasps of shock from the jury which convicted Jones of murder.
The blade was thrust through the heart so forcibly it passed through and came out the other side and Mr Mayley died later in hospital.
Jones was convicted of murder and three others in the gang, Miguel Leiba, 17, Ryan Beresford, 19, and Michael Mensah, 18, were all found guilty of manslaughter and attempted robbery.
Mr Mayley’s mother Donna wept in court as the judge repeated her moving words from her impact statement and ordered the killers to “just listen to this.”
“As Donna Mayley said: ‘The loss of our lovely Dean has ripped our family apart. It’s hard to comprehend that we will never see him again,’” the judge said.
“You still don’t understand the seriousness of the part you each played. Jones you plunged the knife into Dean’s heart but make no mistake you all have blood on your hands. Now Dean’s dead and it’s all your fault.
“Whatever sentence imposed on you are young and you will eventually be released and be able to start your lives again.
“But how different it is for Dean’s loving family. You have imposed on that family a life sentence of grief.”
He sentenced Jones to detention at Her Majesty’s pleasure, the juvenile equivalent of a life sentence. Beresford received 15 years, Leibra 14 years and Mensah 15 years with a further two years to be served consecutively for an earlier street robbery.
During the trial, the court heard that Mr Mayley was killed because he did not hand over his mobile phone to the robbers.
He had learning difficulties due to a brain disorder called Microcephaly and probably did not fully understand what they wanted, jurors were told.
The CCTV showed three shadowy hooded figures surround Mr Mayley before one of them stabbed him with a knife.
He then staggered and collapsed in the road as members of the public rushed to help.
Leiba and Beresford had blocked the victim's path and Mensah drove them to and from the scene in his car.
Said the judge: “On CCTV Jones can be seen looking around, steadying himself then stabbing the victim. It was a clear deliberate act carried out with the force of a deliberate punch.
“Afterwards the defendants all ran away and no attempt was made to call an ambulance or do anything to help the victim. Each defendant assisted and encouraged the robbery knowing Jones had a knife.
“Although Jones was sorry to be in trouble he blamed the victim in not co-operating in handing over his property.”
After they were convicted in August, Judge Zeidman lifted a court order which had banned the naming of Jones and Leiba because of their age.