Man convicted of manslaughter following death of teenage boy in Croydon

A man has been convicted over his role in the killing of a teenager four years ago – after fleeing to The Gambia to avoid justice.

On Thursday, 25 September, a jury at the Old Bailey found Romario Gordon, 22 (13.07.2003), of St Helens Grove, Monkston, guilty of manslaughter. This was in connection with the killing of 16-year-old Camron Smith in Croydon.

Gordon was part of a group who forced their way into Camron’s home on Thursday, 1st July 2021, where they killed him in a brutal attack.

Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend, from Specialist Crime South, said: “Camron was just 16 when his life was brutally ended in a frenzy of violence in his own home.

“Romario Gordon is the fourth person convicted over Camron’s killing. The path to justice in this case has been long, and our thoughts are with Camron’s family and friends, who have endured multiple trials.

“The injuries inflicted on Camron were shocking. From the very start, the investigation team was determined to get the people responsible off our streets.

"Despite the complexity of the investigation, and attempts to hinder our enquiries, we have succeeded in bringing him to justice.”

Police were called to an address in Bracken Avenue, Croydon, at 00:48hrs on Thursday, 1 July 2021.

Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service. They found Camron, who was treated at the scene for stab wounds, but, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was sadly pronounced dead a short time later.

The defendant and his associates were linked to the attack by DNA recovered by forensic officers inside a stolen minicab. This was found abandoned in Hastings Road, Lower Addiscombe.

The group had called the cab to Fieldend Road, Streatham, on the evening of Wednesday, 30 June. When the taxi arrived, the group held a knife to the driver’s throat. They ultimately made off with his car.

The subsequent movements of the group were captured on CCTV recovered by investigators. The group were armed with knives, and were looking for people that they associated with the stabbing of one of their friends, Jerome Taylor, in Pawson’s Road, Croydon, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 30 June.

The gang entered three homes in Croydon. The first was not occupied by the person they were looking for, and the occupier awoke to find a masked male in her bedroom.

The group gained access to the second address they visited but left within seconds and so moved on to the third address, at Bracken Avenue, where they kicked down the door to Camron’s home.

They chased the victim into his mother’s bedroom, where they killed him.

Through flight records, investigators established that Gordon had fled to The Gambia via Heathrow Airport on Saturday, 3 July 2021 – mere days after the murder. The Met issued an international arrest warrant. However, Gordon returned to the UK in August 2023, and was arrested.

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Two men and two boys have previously been jailed for their part in the murder. Romain La Pierre, 23 (16.07.02), of Celia Road, Islington, and Jordan Tcheuko, 22 (9.01.03), of St Johns Road, Wembley, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, 2 December, 2023, where La Pierre was jailed for life with a minimum of 28 years' imprisonment for murder and robbery. At the same hearing, Tcheuko was sentenced to 14 years' in prison for manslaughter.

They had previously been convicted at the same court on Wednesday, 26 October, 2023.

[A] A 16-year-old boy from Croydon was jailed for eight years for manslaughter and robbery following a trial in February 2023.

[E] A 16-year-old boy from Coulsdon was jailed for 18 months for robbery following a trial in July 2022.