Teenagers accused of 'honey trap' murder

A 16-year-old boy was set upon by a gang of teenagers, beaten with a baseball bat, stabbed and left to die after being lured into a honey trap orchestrated by his love rival, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.

Shakilus Townsend was murdered by members of a masked gang last year after a 15-year-old girl led him into a quiet cul-de-sac in Thornton Heath, south London, a jury was told.

The girl's boyfriend, Danny McLean, allegedly arranged the attack on 3 July after he learnt that his girlfriend had been involved in a month-long fling with Shakilus.

When the pair arrived in the area, the attackers were waiting for Shakilus and chased him as the girl kept in touch with Mr McLean on his mobile phone, the court was told. Jurors heard how the murder had been planned meticulously and executed with "consummate skill and cunning".

Opening the case for the prosecution, Brian Altman, QC, said: "It is clear that he had come to learn of her deception and, by way of recompense, she agreed to set up the hapless Shakilus Townsend in a honey trap with a lethal and tragic twist. She was more than up to the task."

Shakilus died the next day as a result of a wound to his chest, which had "raked" across his liver, causing a massive loss of blood, the court heard.

Mr McLean, 18, and Tyrell Ellis, 19, both from Thornton Heath, and Andre Johnson-Haynes, who is 18 and from Croydon, south London, deny murder. The girl, who is now 16, and three youths aged 17, have also pleaded not guilty to the charge. The trial continues.