THE killers of schoolboy Ben Kinsella—brother of Eastenders actress Brooke Kinsella—were jailed for life today after being warned they face retribution in prison. They all received letters from the authorities alerting them to the threat to their lives.Ringleader Jade Braithwaite, a 20-year-old from Bow in London’s East End, and his accomplices will spend at least 19 years behind bars
THE killers of schoolboy Ben Kinsella—brother of Eastenders actress Brooke Kinsella—were jailed for life today (Friday) after being warned they face retribution in prison for the murder.
The three thugs who cornered Ben in the street and stabbed him 11 times in five seconds have all received letters from the authorities alerting them to the threat to their lives.
Ringleader Jade Braithwaite, a 20-year-old from Bow in London’s East End, will spend at least 19 years behind bars.
So too will Juress Kika, 19, and Michael Alleyne, 18, both from Holloway in north London.
They were found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey yesterday (Thursday) for Ben’s murder and were back in the dock this-morning for sentencing.
BRUTAL, COWARDLY’
Judge Brian Barker told them: “Ben Kinsella was 16 when he died. He had in front of him a lifetime of promise and you have taken all that away from him in a brutal, cowardly and totally unjustifiable attack.
“The wounds to the heart were delivered with such force that is split his third rib.
“There is no possible excuse or justification—this was an arrogant and unfeeling attack on someone who had done nothing and was unconnected with anything that had gone before.”
Applause erupted from the packed public gallery as the three killers were led down to the cells in handcuffs.
Brooke, who played Kelly Taylor in the TV soap, clapped once but kept a dignified silence with the rest of her family in the well of court.
UNDER THREAT
Lawyers for the three killers confirmed earlier they had received letters from the authorities warning them they may be under threat.
The killers were wanted’ by members of the notorious Adams family, the court heard.
Braithwaite’s QC, Nerida Harford-Bell, said: “Jade understands he is a marked man.
“His mother, grandmother and aunt are in process of moving from their addresses to an entirely different area.”
Ben was the innocent victim of a dispute between youths at a bar which led to a mass brawl in the street outside, where Braithwaite recruited’ Kika and Alleyne to get revenge for him being “disrespected.”
They chased the rival group down the street and picked on Ben when he failed to run away.
The killers will have to serve 19 years, less 11 months already spent on remand, before being considered for parole.
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