Ipswich murderer Alfie Hammett admits role in Norwich attack

Alfie Hammett, 19, is facing sentence next month after he was convicted of the murder of Wymondham's Raymond James Quigley, who was attacked in Westgate Street on January 17 last year as part of a rivalry between two Norwich gangs.

Raymond James Quigley, who is known as James, (inset) and the scene in Ipswich where he was stabbed to death (Image: Suffolk Police/Newsquest)Hammett was found guilty along with Joshua Howell, 18, following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court which heard the murder had followed a feud which claimed the life of another teen, Joe Dix, in Norwich in January 2022.

Alfie Hammett (left) and Joshua Howell (Image: Suffolk Police)But before he is sentenced for murder and possession of an offensive weapon on March 11, Hammett appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday.

It was after he had previously been charged with a raft of offences in Norwich's Prince of Wales Road on September 11, 2022 - less than five months before the Ipswich murder.

Prince of Wales Road, Norwich (Image: Newsquest)Hammett, who appeared in the dock wearing a blue and white Nike tracksuit as well as black hair and a beard, had been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm, affray, and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

The teenager, from Ipswich, who had been banned from entering Norwich as part of his bail conditions for the offences, entered a guilty plea to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, with the other offences asked to lie on file.

Azza Brown, prosecuting, said after this offence, in September 2022, in January last year Hammett "committed a murder" for which he was tried and convicted and is awaiting sentence for.

The prosecutor said that in light of his murder conviction and likely sentence a plea to actual bodily harm with the other offences to lie on file was acceptable.

Judge Katharine Moore said it was likely the sentence for this offence would be sent to Ipswich Crown Court to be dealt with at the same time as he is sentenced for murder next month.

Ipswich Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)But she said it was a matter which would need to be decided by Norwich's resident judge Alice Robinson and Judge Martyn Levett at Ipswich. 

The murder trial heard Hammett was part of the Third Side Norwich gang while Mr Quigley was part of the city's Only The Money gang. 

Howell was part of the IP3 or Nacton gang in Ipswich, which is associated with the Third Side.

Mr Quigley was in Ipswich visiting friends and the prosecution said Howell and Hammett were searching the town looking for him.

The pair then confronted him in Westgate Street, where Hammett attacked him, as Howell wielded a machete to prevent the victim's friends from intervening.

Emergency services on scene after the murder in Ipswich (Image: Newsquest)