Teen guilty of manslaughter but cleared of murdering Nasir Patrice in Leamington
The 17 year-old from Birmingham was killed last year.
Last updated 19th Mar 2021
A 17-year-old has been convicted of the manslaughter of another teenager who died of knife wounds after a drug-related dispute in Leamington.
The boy, from south London, was found not guilty of murder at Warwick Crown Court after claiming to have acted in self-defence when he killed Nasir Patrice, who was from Birmingham.
Jurors also acquitted the defendant, who cannot be named because of his age, of attempting to murder a second victim who suffered a collapsed lung and spent five days in hospital.
Prosecutors alleged the boy, then aged 16, was seen smirking after using a metre-long sword'' to kill 17-year-old Nasir at a flat in Tachbrook Road, Leamington Spa, on the morning of January 15 last year.
But he told the court he was attacked by a group of three assailants, before jabbing out with a knife in self-defence.
The defendant said the group's entry into the flat sounded like a stampede and he made a split-second life or death decision when faced with someone armed with a Rambo'' knife.
The trial was told Nasir, from Birmingham, suffered four stab wounds and was pronounced dead nearby despite the best efforts of medical staff.
A three-week trial heard an air ambulance was called to the scene of the stabbings, and arrived at 11.10am, but Nasir was declared dead at 11.23am.
As well as finding the defendant guilty of manslaughter by a 10-2 majority verdict reached after more than 10 hours of discussions, jurors also convicted him of perverting the course of justice and wounding the second victim with intent, also by a 10-2 majority.
Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Corfield from Warwickshire Police said:
“Nasir’s death shocked the local community and, sadly, this case is a very stark reminder of the devastating effects that both drugs and knife crime can have.
“Nasir Patrice was only 17 when he died. The offender, also a young man himself, is now facing a custodial sentence for his crime. So many lives have been devastated by this case but my thoughts remain uppermost with the family of Nasir.
“I’d like to thank everyone who supported this investigation for their hard work and determination, and hope today’s outcome will give Nasir’s family a small sense of closure that these individuals will now face justice for their actions.”
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