Due to his inebriated behavior on a bus, two adolescents were judged responsible for the murder of a man.
On November 4 of last year, Gabriel Stoyanov was tragically stabbed in the chest after stepping off the 181 bus in south London.
Alfie Kibble, 18, of Bexley, southeast London, and a 17-year-old boy were found guilty of the victim’s murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.
A 15-year-old was found guilty of manslaughter but not murder.
The other two suspects were found guilty of possessing offensive weapons, while the 17-year-old attacker had previously acknowledged to possessing a knife.
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The 21-year-old Mr. Stoyanov was described as “so young, so full of life and dreams, full of energy to achieve them” in court.
His mother Mariana Petrova stated in a victim impact statement presented in court: “Gab has just begun his first term at university studying business management. He had aspirations of working as an estate agent.He desired to see the world and encounter various nations and civilizations.He had considered going back to Bulgaria one day to launch his own company with a friend he had known since birth.
“They took that man’s life. They also took a piece of me. My son was removed by them. My closest companion.Due to my age and the age of my younger son, who is currently three years old, I am not allowed to visit my grandchildren.
“His right to be a big brother was taken away from him.”
“I guarantee you that there is nothing worse than this,” the mother continued. “Losing a kid is a terrible thing, and anyone who has not experienced it cannot understand it.
There is nothing worse than this, I can guarantee you of that. No one has the authority to kill another person. Nobody has the right to split up families in this manner.
He was slain primarily for being intoxicated and unpleasant, possibly extremely annoying
The court had heard how Mr. Stoyanov, 21, had been drinking before he boarded the 181 bus with a buddy, and he made an effort to talk to the three defendants.
He was killed “for being little more than drunk and annoying, perhaps very annoying,” the prosecutor Edward Brown KC had told the jury.But nothing he did, legally or otherwise, could have plausibly justified being attacked and killed.
Intoxicated Gabriel attempted to engage the defendants, and while they don’t seem overly concerned by his antics at this point, his attention was unwelcome, according to Mr. Brown.
“It should have been the end of any kind of confrontation – whether in jest, as a result of being a nuisance, or otherwise.”
Before his companion helped him off the bus, the 17-year-old youth had been hit in the stomach and had his ear flicked.
The accused arrived at the 17-year-old’s house after getting off the bus two stops later, the jury was informed.
They then arm themselves with weapons and wait outside a takeout restaurant in Bromley, east London, for the victim.
The 15-year-old had a drink, the 17-year-old had a knife, and Kibble had a motorcycle chain.
When Mr. Stoyanov saw the defendants, CCTV captured him leaving the takeaway and backing away.
Jurors were informed that the 15-year-old child hurled a bottle that struck the victim, and Kibble attempted to strike him with the motorcycle chain but missed.
The 17-year-old then used a knife to attack Mr. Stoyanov in the chest.
Gabriel was left grasping his chest and already dead when the defendants promptly fled down the street, according to Mr. Brown.
After being transported to the hospital, Mr. Stoyanov passed away the following day from a single stab wound.
The three accused said they acted in self-defense and denied murder.