Colchester stabbing: Two sentenced for grievous bodily harm

Kaya Adu, 19, of Hereward Green, Loughton, and Rushi Jadeja, 22, of Pickford Walk, Colchester, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Adu also admitted possession of a knife in a public place.

Sentenced - Kaya Adu and Rushi Jadeja were sentenced in Chelmsford on Tuesday (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

The court was told the sequence of events leading to the boy’s stabbing at 6.30pm on Tuesday, January 9.

Carolyn Gardiner, prosecuting, said: “This was a joint enterprise – it was a pre-meditated revenge attack on the 16-year-old instigated by Jadeja who believed the 16-year-old had been involved in the kidnap of his brother.”

The court was shown CCTV footage of Jadeja standing outside Grace and Lace bridal shop in St Botolph’s Street, where he makes four calls to Adu between 5.20pm and 6.09pm. 

Adu arrived and the two confronted the victim inside Pepe’s Piri Piri.

A fight broke out and Adu is seen stabbing the victim several times.

A witness said: “The stabbing motion was underarm and aggressive towards the victim,” with the stabbing continuing after the victim fell to the ground.

Adu and Jadeja then ran down Priory Street and appeared to congratulate one another before Adu called Minicab Services at 6.38pm, telling them it was “an ASAP job”.

The two were picked up in Grosvenor Place, with the taxi driver overhearing one of them say “When am I going to get my stuff?” to which the other replied “Let’s get out of here, then we will talk about it.”

Police - emergency services cordoned off Priory Street after the stabbing (Image: Newsquest)

The two were dropped off at the One Stop convenience store in Greenstead at 7pm, before buying soft drinks and then leaving.

Meanwhile, the victim went into to a Subway in St Botolph’s Street where he pulled off his shirt and took pictures of his five stab wounds – three to his back, one to his chest, and one to his abdomen.

Staff called 999, with one witness, Darren Cole, later telling police he saw what he thought were “intestines coming out” of the victim who said: “Help me, I’m going to die – I am too young to die.”

Paramedics arrived and took the victim to hospital for treatment.

Adu and Jadeja were both jailed for six years and nine months.

Adu, will serve a further three years on licence after his release.

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