A 20-year-old man has been found guilty of manslaughter after the fatal stabbing of Archie Beston in Kingston on Saturday, February 29, earlier this year.
Tyron Bryan, 20, from Kingston was found guilty at Kingston Crown Court on October 2 of manslaughter.
He was also convicted of Section 20 GBH on a second victim who was also stabbed, and for possession of an offensive weapon.
As the Surrey Comet reported in the immediate aftermath, the fatal stabbing happened in Clarence Street in Kingston sometime after 3.40am.
Police officers and members of the public fought to save Archie’s life before the arrival of paramedics, who rushed him to hospital where he sadly he died six days later.
Residents and onlookers in Kingston that night described the “excellent response from emergency services and venue management and door staff” after the stabbing, even as police launched into their investigation.
A man has been convicted of attempted GBH and another of manslaughter, after they drove their van into a crowd.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 5, 2020
In the aftermath, bystander Archie Beston was fatally stabbed.
His family said "Archie was our whole world. He was loved by everyone."https://t.co/Sf15GTBfrT pic.twitter.com/yjp2BTzG9t
Bryan was arrested after he was detained at the scene by security staff at the nearby Viper Room nightclub, police revealed, while another person (Finlay Ahwan, 21, from Worcester Park) was arrested after attending Wandsworth Police Station the following day.
Ahwan was later found guilty of attempted GBH on the second victim (with a vehicle) and dangerous driving.
Footage of the incident released by the Met after the guilty convictions showed a van being deliberately driven towards a 19-year-old man, the second victim in the attack.
After the van was driven at the victim, Archie was fatally stabbed by Tyron Bryan, who had been in the van with Ahwan.
Bryan also stabbed ‘Victim 2’ who required hospital treatment for his injuries.
Reflecting on the fatal stabbing, Detective Chief Inspector Helen Rance said:
“Archie was only 19 years old. He lived in Barnes and worked locally in Kew. He had never been in any sort of trouble with the police before and was incredibly popular with his friends and much loved by all of his family, especially his mum, Becky.”
DCI Rance meanwhile described both Bryan and Ahwan as “pathetic and cowardly individuals”: Bryan used a knife to attack an unarmed teenager while Ahwan’s weapon of choice was a two tonne van,” she said, revealing that both men had previous convictions for offences including possession of a knife.
“Only they will know why they attacked Archie. Bryan’s decision to carry a knife has left Archie’s family grieving and Bryan himself facing a considerable period of time in prison when he is sentenced on 29 October,” DCI Rance added.
Speaking shortly after the murder, Archie’s family said: “Archie was our whole world. He was loved by everyone who knew him. He was a family boy, so happy and he loved to enjoy life. He was sweet natured and popular, he had no enemies and always helped anyone... He was so innocent, and tragically he appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
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