TWO teenagers who left a drug dealer for dead after stabbing him 23 times in a ‘brutal and calculated attack’ have been detained for a total of 21 years.
Alex Diogo Franca De Jesus (19) and 18-year-old Jayden Howard ambushed the teen and attacked him with such force that he was left with a knife embedded in his back.
The victim, who was aged 18 at the time, suffered two punctured lungs and lacerations to his liver, needed several blood transfusions and survived only after undergoing emergency surgery in Southampton Hospital.
He has been left with ‘life-changing’ injuries.
Howard, who later boasted about the stabbing in a rap song recorded on a mobile phone, admitted attempted murder and received nine years’ youth detention.
De Jesus was convicted of the same offence following a trial in the Royal Court earlier this year and was sentenced to 12 years’ youth detention.
Outlining the case during the sentencing hearing yesterday, Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit, prosecuting, said: ‘This was a brutal and calculated attack. Death was nearly the outcome. Ultimately it was luck that the victim did not die.’
The Superior Number, which convenes for the most serious cases, heard that De Jesus had built up a £1,600 debt with the victim after buying cannabis from him since July 2021.
Advocate Maletroit said: ‘He threatened to kill De Jesus, his parents and his girlfriend if he did not settle the debt. The victim had a reputation for violence, so De Jesus counted the threats as genuine.’
The court heard that De Jesus arranged to meet the victim at Le Geyt flats on 9 January last year on the pretence of handing over money.
‘He had neither the intention nor the means to pay,’ the advocate said.
De Jesus lured him to the bike sheds and he and Howard stabbed him repeatedly. They then dumped his body in bushes with a blade still stuck in his back.
‘They left him for dead,’ the advocate said.
The victim called 999 on his mobile phone and was taken to hospital and then airlifted to Southampton the next day for surgery to remove the tip of the knife from his back.
The court heard that the victim is now able to walk again unaided but has weakness in both legs. He has restricted movement in his spine, preventing some work and sporting activities.
Advocate Maletroit recommended prison sentences of 11 years for Howard and 14 years for De Jesus.
Advocate David Steenson, defending Howard, stressed the different roles played by the two defendants and described his client as ‘a younger man who pleaded guilty at an early opportunity’.
He said: ‘It is important that the difference between the two men is recognised.
‘Mr Howard went as back-up to his friend, who asked him to be there.
‘He didn’t know this was going to happen.’
Of the rap song, which was played in court, he said: ‘He is utterly ashamed. It is an example of the stupid bravado of a 17-year-old. He has changed since being in custody.’
Advocate Rebecca Morley-Kirk, defending De Jesus, added: ‘There is no getting away from the fact that they were young people, making unwise decisions in an extremely unusual situation.’
During his trial, De Jesus claimed he had given the victim his mobile phone to call for an ambulance and Advocate Morley-Kirk argued: ‘He has expressed his remorse. That must be part and parcel of his remorse.’
She asked for a sentence of 12 years or less.
Two other 17-year-olds who were at the scene at the time of the stabbing were acquitted of grave and criminal assault and affray following the trial.
During sentencing, Commissioner Sir John Saunders said: ‘Knife crime of this sort is rare in Jersey but it is on the increase, and it cannot be allowed to develop.’
He said older defendants found guilty of attempted murder could receive sentences of between 18 and 20 years, and added: ‘The only real mitigation is their age.’
They each also received two-year sentences for possession of an offensive weapon, to run concurrently.
The Jurats presiding were Jane Ronge, Robert Christensen, Elizabeth Du Lake, Gareth Hughes, Karen Le Cornu, David Le Heuzé and Michael Berry.
In a statement, Detective Constable Joao Carvalho, who led the investigation, said: ‘This was a vicious attack, which left the victim with life-changing injuries.
‘It’s been a long and complex investigation, but we hope this sentencing sends out a strong message to anyone thinking of carrying a knife and we hope that the victim can find some solace from today’s verdict while he continues to recover from his injuries.’
