Two jailed for double murder in Greenwich

Two teenagers convicted of two murder charges after a detailed Met investigation involving extensive analysis of CCTV have been jailed.

Alagie Jobe, 19 (28.06.04), of south-east London and Hussain Bah, 19 (10.06.04), of south-east London were both sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment after they were convicted following a trial at Inner London Crown Court.

A double murder investigation was launched on 26 November 2022 after two 16-year-olds – Charlie Bartolo and Kearne Solanke – were found with fatal stab injuries just one mile apart in Greenwich.

Initially, there was no obvious link between the two murders and a team of homicide detectives, led by Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, had to work quickly to identify the sequence of events.

Analysis of CCTV revealed that five men had arrived in a car, which was deliberately rammed into a motorbike being ridden by Charlie Bartolo in Sewell Road.

Three of them – the three who emerged from the passenger side, where Charlie Bartolo was lying – attacked him as he lay on the ground. The CCTV shows that all three of them used large knives to stab and strike Charlie as he lay helpless on the floor.

The two who got out of the driver’s side did not physically participate in the violence – although the driver was armed with a knife.

The homicide detectives discovered that Solanke was one of the three who jumped out of the passenger side of the car and attacked Charlie. But during the melee of violence, one of his fellow attackers had inadvertently stabbed him.

The CCTV footage shows that Solanke got back into the car with the rest of the group, and they all drove away. But, when the car reached Titmuss Avenue only a mile away, they abandoned the car and they abandoned Kearne to die on the pavement.

The prosecution case against all of the defendants is that they were all signed up to a joint plan to find and attack someone in Abbey Wood as they were from a rival gang in Thamesmead.

Each of them in played their own part in that attack – Bah driving them there and hitting Charlie with the car, a 17-year-old driving them away, and the other three, including Kearne Solanke, carrying out the stabbing that all five of them intended.

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said: “My team of detectives worked relentlessly to identify the group’s movements across south-east London on the day of the murders. Even though some of the CCTV did not pick up their faces, my officers worked incredibly hard to identify them via their clothing including trousers and footwear. This was crucial in placing them together before and after the attack on Charlie.

“This case demonstrates the utter devastation caused by knife crime and people who arm themselves with large knives, not only risk killing those they see as enemies, but also people they consider their friends. The lengthy sentences imposed by the judge shows how seriously the court views the actions of these young men.

"My thoughts, and those of my team, remain with the families of both Charlie and Kearne."