Masked teenage killers who stabbed 18-year-old rival gang member to death in horrific high street attack are convicted of murder

Alfie Hammett, 19, and Joshua Howel, 18, murdered Raymond James Quigley, 18  

Two masked teenage killers who stabbed an 18-year-old rival gang member to death in a horrific high street attack have today been convicted of murder.

Alfie Hammett, 19, and Joshua Howell, 18, brutally killed Raymond James Quigley, known as James, in Ipswich, Suffolk, on January 17 last year.

James of Wymondham, Norfolk, was set upon by the violent thugs at 3.35pm as he was walking with two friends in Westgate Street.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how Hammett and Howell were wearing face masks, had hoods up and were armed with large knives when they ambushed their victim.

Hammett ran directly towards James before stabbing him four times in the chest and abdomen with two of the wounds proving fatal. James staggered into a car shop before he collapsed and died.

Raymond James Quigley (pictured) was savagely murdered in a horrific high street attack on January 17 last year

Alfie Hammett (left), 19, and Joshua Howell (right) , 18, were today convicted of murdering James

Horrified passers-by including customers and staff from a nearby Starbucks tried to help him before police and paramedics arrived.

Howell, who was brandishing a machete, chased after one of James’ friends, but they managed to escape to safety in a nearby sportswear shop.

The court heard how the pair had planned the attack and had met in Suffolk New College before later targeting James and his friends.

Prosecutors said the motive was most likely a ‘deep rooted gang rivalry’ between two groups from Norwich, Norfolk.

James had an association with a gang called ‘OTM’, which stands for ‘Only The Money’ while Hammett, who had previously lived in Norwich, was associated with a rival gang in the city called ‘3rdside’.

Prosecutors said Howell had links to the Nacton gang in Ipswich, also known as ‘IP3’, which had formed ‘a level of cooperation’ with ‘3rdside’.

Hammett, of Larkhill Rise, Rushmere St Andrew, and Howell of Wellington Street, Ipswich, both denied murder, but were unanimously found guilty by a jury after a trial lasting more than five weeks.

Hammett did not give evidence, but his defence team denied that he was the man who attacked James, and was referred to during the trial as Male One.

Horrified passers-by including customers and staff from a nearby Starbucks tried to help James before police and paramedics arrived. Pictured: Police at the scene

Howell gave evidence and denied being affiliated with IP3.

He insisted he had only met ‘Male One’ for the first time on the day of the killing when he had sold him cannabis earlier in the day while carrying a machete for his own protection.

Howell said that after making the deal, he had walked through town with ‘Male One’ to show him the way to the German Doner kebab shop in Westgate Street.

Howell said the attack had ‘occurred spontaneously’, without his prior knowledge.

His defence for drawing his machete was that he feared being attacked by the other group.

The jury rejected his claims and were also satisfied that police evidence proved that Hammett was indeed ‘Male One’.

Last month, Shaun Hammett told a court how he suspected his son was involved in the murder after checking a tracker he secretly put on his moped.

Shaun Hammett confronted his son when he learned that James had been stabbed to death in a busy town centre.

He raised the subject again the following day when they were in his car together and told the teenager he knew where he had parked his moped.

Hammett claimed he had gone to see a girl but ‘looked a bit shocked’ when his father revealed he had placed the tracker on the bike.

Police later recovered information from the covert device to show the moped had been left at Bishops Hill, which allowed them to use CCTV to trace the route taken.

Describing the conversation, Mr Hammett said he asked: ‘I hope you haven’t had nothing to do with what’s happened in town this afternoon.’

His son, who was sitting on his bed playing on his computer, is said to have claimed he had gone into town to buy boxing headgear – although Mr Hammett told the court he saw no equipment.

The pair were also both convicted of carrying an offensive weapon, and Howell was further convicted of threatening another person with a bladed article.

They were remanded in custody before sentencing on March 11 to allow reports to be drawn up on them

Judge Martyn Levett told the pair: ‘The sentence I have to pass is mandatory detention for life.’

Police arriving at the scene after Ray was stabbed to death in the town centre of Ipswich in Suffolk

The judge told Hammett: ‘I’m so much in the dark about your background and the consequences.’

Addressing Howell, he said: ‘The jury have rejected your account. I also think it’s important I learn more about you.’

The judge warned them against choosing not to return to court for the sentencing, which will not take place until March 11 while the court waits for repotrs.

The attack and the movements of the suspects before and after the incident were captured on CCTV.

Detectives were said to have worked tirelessly over four days to identify and locate the Hammett and Howell before arresting them on January 21. They were charged with murder two days later.

Lasharne Beaton gave evidence at the court that she was with a friend in the nearby Starbucks when she rushed to help after two people ran past.

Referring to James as having his top ‘completely saturated in blood’, she said: ‘He went into the shop because he couldn’t run any more, before bending over the counter and passing out backwards.’

‘He stopped breathing and I tried to find a pulse. He was still. I started to panic and that’s when I started to give him CPR.’

Earlier in the trial, the court heard Howell had transferred £1,000 to an account and bought a one-way plane ticket to Nairobi.

The prosecution said he did not have a phone when he was arrested, while Hammett had returned his to its factory settings.