Moment teen killer confronts man, 18, during fight outside McDonald's

Chilling moment 15-year-old killer confronts man, 18, during fight outside McDonald’s before stabbing him to death after victim stepped to protect his friend on night out

This is the chilling moment a 15-year-old killer confronts a man, 18, before stabbing him to death during a fight outside McDonald’s.

The shocking footage was released when the teenage murderer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of killing Ben Moncrieff in Bath city centre earlier this year.

Ben was stabbed once in the chest in Southgate Street at 3.30am on Saturday 6 May, and despite the efforts of medics to save his life, he died at the scene.

Ben had been on a night out in the city when the fight broke out. He stepped in to protect his friend when the killer told him ‘to come around the corner’.

Having left a club, they walked towards McDonald’s and encountered a group of males, including the defendant, who were in possession of balloons and suspected nitrous oxide gas cannisters. That group had arrived in a car shortly beforehand.

Ben Moncrieff was stabbed once in the chest in Southgate Street at 3.30am on Saturday 6 May, and despite the efforts of medics to save his life, he died at the scene

CCTV footage showed the 15-year-old killer confronting Ben before he was killed that night 

CCTV footage showed the verbal confrontation between the defendant, who is seen holding a balloon suspected to be filled with nitrous oxide gas cannisters, and one of Ben’s friends. 

Separate footage shows the defendant flashing a knife that he had held in the waistline of his jogging bottoms.  

Jurors at Bristol Crown Court were told Ben had stepped into the fight to protect his friend, and a witness heard the defendant tell the victim to ‘come around the corner’.

The defendant, who is from south London, is seen in footage to take a step back and drop a gas cannister as Ben approaches him, before pulling out the weapon and stabbing the 18-year-old to death.

He fled the scene and dumped the knife in a bin nearby, which was recovered by officers. He was arrested a short time later and made no comment during police interviews.

A murder investigation was launched and hours of footage were trawled through by detectives.

One CCTV camera showed the defendant lift up his top before the stabbing and reveal to people he had a bladed weapon tucked into his waistband.

After the verdict Ben’s mother Sharon Hendry paid tribute to her son and said he was loved by everyone who knew him

During his evidence in court, the teenager stated he had taken the knife off of a boy of a similar age early in the day to protect them.

However, the prosecution presented the jury with social media videos of the defendant playing with a matching knife that had been recorded earlier that same week. The teenager told the court it was a different knife that happened to look identical.

The defendant, who is now 16, was found guilty of murder by a jury after a six-day trial. He had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place.

He has been remanded for sentencing on Wednesday 6 December.

After the verdict Ben’s mother Sharon Hendry paid tribute to her son and said he was loved by everyone who knew him. She said his death had caused ‘total devastation’.

Also speaking after the verdict, senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Mark Newbury said: ‘Our thoughts are with Ben’s loved ones who we continue to support as they grieve for a much-loved son and friend. At 18 years old Ben had his whole life ahead of him, but it was snatched away.

Ben’s mother had said his death had caused ‘absolute devastation’ to their family 

‘The outpouring of support Ben’s family have received from his friends is a testament to how popular a young man he was.

‘Tragically, Ben happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t know the defendant and was entirely blameless. He was bravely standing up for a friend when the defendant made a conscious decision to pull out a knife and attack Ben knowing it would gravely injure him at the very least.

‘We believe the defendant sought to attempt to glorify knife crime by posing in social media videos in the days leading up to Ben’s death and also showing off he was carrying one in the minutes before he killed Ben.’

DI Newbury added: ‘We want to reassure people a lot of work continues to go into tackling knife crime in Bath, ranging from high-visibility patrols to educating people of the risks attached to carry a bladed weapon.

‘Every person who decides to carry a knife puts themselves and others at a much greater risk, as tragedies such as this make sadly all too clear.

‘If you know someone who may be carrying a knife, please contact the police or depending on the situation a suitable professional, such as a teacher or youth worker, so we can work with partners to tackle this devastating crime. 

‘Preventing any other family going through what Ben’s has had to endure, and continues to endure, is a priority for us.’

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