Teen Who Stabbed Friend To Death In Row Over Tracksuit Jailed For 14 years

A teenager who stabbed a friend to death at a birthday party has been locked up for at least 14 years.

Aaron Gaiete was found guilty of the murder of Charlie Kutyauripo, 16, following a retrial at the Old Bailey.

It’s claimed the teens got into a row over a tracksuit Gaiete borrowed and failed to return.

Gaiete stabbed Kutyauripo in the heart with a kitchen knife outside a sports centre in Woodford. He then stabbed him again in the arm as he tried to get up.

In a rare move, the jury sent a note to ‘recommend the defendant to leniency’ before delivering a unanimous verdict last week.

Judge Rebecca Poulet QC said she would not ignore the plea and the age of the defendant alone made a ‘significant difference’ to how long he would spend in jail.

Handing Gaiete indefinite detention with a minimum term of 14 years, she said: ‘I will take into account there was a background between you two boys and Charlie knew you had a short temper and he was making provoking comments during the confrontation.’

But she added: ‘It must be understood that taking a knife out in public whether for an offensive or defensive purpose is in itself a criminal offence.

‘It is apparent in the court that far from preventing an attack, the carrying of a knife frequently results in the causing of serious injury or in this case death and therefore the inevitable outcome of a very lengthy sentence for the individual who takes it out.’

Charlie’s mother Matilda, an A&E nurse, said the family was ‘crushed, hurt, torn beyond description’ after her son was killed by a boy she had previously welcomed into her home.

She said in a statement read to court: ‘No mother or family deserve to suffer the way we have.’

The grieving mother said Charlie had been brought up by a ‘decent Christian family’ and was raised to have ‘good values’.

She thanked all those who were ‘brave and human enough’ to try to save him and offer him comfort as he lay dying.

She hoped the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others.

An order banning identification of Gaiete, from Ilford, due to his age was lifted following his conviction.