Two teenagers sentenced for killing 14-year-old boy in street violence

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Two teenagers are to be sentenced for killing a 14-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed as part of tit-for-tat violence between rival groups.

Gordon Gault was stabbed on the arm with a machete as he rode on the back of a friend’s e-bike in Newcastle’s West End in November 2022, and died six days later in hospital.

The fatal attack, which also saw one of his associates slashed in the back, happened when two groups of armed youths went out looking for each other.

Six teenagers went on trial at Newcastle Crown Court and were cleared of murder, but Carlos Neto, 18, of Salford, and Lawson Natty, 18, of Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle, were convicted of manslaughter.

The pair were also found guilty of unlawfully wounding the second victim.

Neto stabbed Gordon in a surprise attack, jurors heard, while Natty was the one who supplied him with the machete.

The court heard that Gordon was armed with a baseball bat at the time.

After the trial, Gordon’s mother Dionne Barrett said: “Life will simply never be the same without him.

“I want youngsters to understand the huge dangers of carrying knives.

“By carrying knives, you could not only ruin your life but that of your family and friends as well.”

Anna Barker, a senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East, said after the trial: “The violent confrontation at the centre of this case was as senseless as it was tragic.

“Whatever differences the parties involved aimed to settle, it is painfully clear that there have been no winners.

“As a result of their clash, a young boy is dead with two others now facing significant prison sentences.”