Teens guilty of murdering Edward Reeves in 'brutal' attack

TWO teens who subjected Edward Reeve to a “brutal” and “unrelenting” attack on New Year's Eve have been found guilty of his murder.

Aged just 16 at the time of the killing, they slashed and stabbed their victim 12 times, leaving his home in Heath Road soaked in blood.

The youths, one from Bournemouth the other from Christchurch, had tried to blame each other for the murder during their trial at Winchester Crown Court.

According to the Christchurch youth, he had stabbed Mr Reeve (35) four times in self-defence as he came at him with a dumbbell before the Bournemouth teen carried on the attack with a huge knife.

The Bournemouth teen had said it was his co-accused who had carried out the attack on his own.

But today (Wednesday) a jury unanimously found both teens guilty of murdering Mr Reeve, who suffered from mental health problems.

The Bournemouth youth was also found guilty of possessing a knife, a charge the Christchurch teen had admitted.

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones had told the court how the boys had gone to Mr Reeve’s home after he asked the Christchurch youth for drugs. They had arrived with three girls who left shortly after as they felt “uncomfortable.”

According to Mrs Karmy-Jones the teens then launched their “horrific” attack.

Mr Reeve suffered a slash across his face so severe his eyeball collapsed. A gaping wound to his stomach left his intestines hanging out.

His left thumb had been “cut to the bone” while there was a 7cm long “defence” slash to his wrist which went to the tendon and bone.

A pathologist testified that his injuries were consistent with being “chased” and bloody handprints were found on a shed in the garden which Mr Reeve had tried to hide behind.

His body was found four days later in the lounge of his home.

After the killing the boys, who had been downing Jack Daniels and smoking cannabis, went to Walkford stores where they caught up with the three girls who testified that they were “proud and bragging” about stabbing their victim.

One said they appeared “excited and energetic”. The Bournemouth teen was caught on CCTV making stabbing motions after fist pumping the Christchurch youth who was laughing.

Later on the same evening, the Bournemouth youth was again seen on CCTV in Christchurch threatening another man with a large bladed weapon while his co-defendant looked on.

The pair had also been recorded receiving a call from an inmate in jail during which they both told him: “We just done yinged someone up, crazy bro.” The jury heard the word "yinged" was slang for stabbed.

Giving evidence in his defence, the Bournemouth youth, now 17, said his co-defendant had attacked Mr Reeve with a blade before pulling a “big knife” from his waistband with which he killed him while he stood in a “state of shock”.

The Bournemouth teen has two previous knife crime convictions and, as the court heard, had posed for a selfie with a large hunting knife.

He said his Christchurch friend was “aggressive. I’d never seen him like that”.

Asked why he did nothing to help Mr Reeve he said: “I wish I had now.”

But the Christchurch youth claimed he had only stabbed Mr Reeve with a knife in self-defence after a row over a computer he had stolen four days earlier.

Mrs Karmy-Jones told him his story was “nonsense” adding that the youths had “planned” the attack and later posed for a photo together at Hinton Admiral train station, adding: “You and [the Bournemouth teen] together; a bond. You’ve been acting together, you planned it together.

“Brothers forever in the same gang.”

The teenagers will be sentenced later.