Two teens to be sentenced for killing 18-year-old in Ipswich

Alfie Hammett, 19, and Joshua Howell, 18, were both charged with the murder of Raymond James Quigley on January 17 last year in Westgate Street, as well as possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Hammett, of Larkhill Rise, Rushmere St Andrew, and Howell, of Wellington Street, Ipswich, both denied the charges but were found guilty on January 26 this year, and will return to Ipswich Crown Court on Monday, March 11, to be sentenced.

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

The court heard the stabbing was part of a “deep rooted gang rivalry”.

Hammett and Howell's trial 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.

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

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.

Hammett and Howell were wearing face masks and had their hoods up at the time of the attack, before Howell chased one of Mr Quigley's friends at knifepoint into the nearby branch of JD Sports, allowing Hammett to kill Mr Quigley.

The 18-year-old managed to stagger across the road to get help and collapsed in a nearby shop but, 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 he suffered four stab wounds to the torso, with two wounds to the chest and abdomen proving to be fatal.  

The cordon in the town centre following the attack (Image: Charlotte Bond)

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.

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

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.

Hammett did not give 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.