Ipswich Raymond James Quigley murder: Two teenagers guilty

Mr Quigley, from Wymondham in Norfolk, was fatally stabbed in Westgate Street in the town on the afternoon of January 17 last year.

Alfie Hammett, 19, and Joshua Howell, 18, were accused of 18-year-old Mr Quigley's murder, as well as possession of an offensive weapon.

They were both convicted of all charges on Friday afternoon.

Hammett and Howell's trial at Ipswich Crown Court started on December 11 as Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, alleged the pair confronted Mr Quigley in Westgate Street.

Mr Quigley had travelled to Ipswich from Wymondham that day to meet two friends and he was walking through the town with them when they encountered Hammett and Howell at about 3.35pm.

Mr Jackson told the court Hammett attacked Mr Quigley while Howell wielded a machete to provide an "intimidating presence", preventing any of the friends Mr Quigley was with from intervening.

The court was told Hammett and Howell were wearing face masks and had their hoods up at the time of the attack.

Mr Quigley, 18, was from Wymondham (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

He said Howell chased one of those friends at knifepoint into the nearby branch of JD Sports, allowing Hammett to kill Mr Quigley.

He managed to stagger across the road to get help and collapsed in a nearby shop.

Despite the efforts of paramedics and members of the public providing first aid, Mr Quigley died at the scene.

A Home Office post-mortem examination concluded that Mr Quigley suffered four stab wounds to the torso, with two wounds to the chest and abdomen proving to be fatal.  

The court heard the attackers immediately fled in opposite directions – Howell ran off up Providence Street, while Hammett ran off in the opposite direction back across the Cornhill.

Alfie Hammett (left) and Joshua Howell (right) have been found guilty of murder (Image: Suffolk police)

Hammett and Howell were arrested four days after the stabbing and charged two days later.

Mr Jackson had told the jury a rivalry between the gangs had prompted the attack on Mr Quigley.

The court was previously told that Hammett was part of the Third Side Norwich gang, Howell was part of the IP3 or Nacton gang in Ipswich and Mr Quigley was part of the Only The Money gang in Norwich.

The court heard that the motive for the attack was most likely due to tensions between the rival gangs from Norwich.

The police cordon in Ipswich town centre after the attack (Image: Charlotte Bond, Newsquest)

Hammett, of Larkhill Rise, Rushmere St Andrew, had not given evidence during the trial, but his defence disputed that he was the suspect seen fleeing the scene in CCTV footage of the area.

Howell, of Westgate Street, Ipswich, had said he met with Hammett for a drug deal and taken a blade with him for protection, but said he did not see the attack happen.

He said after making the deal, he had only walked through town with the suspect in the CCTV footage to show him the way to a kebab shop in Westgate Street.

Howell claimed the attack happened spontaneously, without his prior knowledge.

Neither Hammett or Howell reacted when the jury found them guilty of murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

The pair have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Monday, March 11 at Ipswich Crown Court.