Teenagers guilty of murdering UberEats driver for his moped

Iderval Da Silva murdered in 'explosion of violence' in front of witnesses at London cafe

Iderval Da Silva was beaten to death by moped thieves in London (Metropolitan Police)

Two teenagers who beat a takeaway delivery driver to death while trying to steal his moped have been found guilty of murder.

Iderval Da Silva, 46, was having lunch with friends at a café in Battersea, south-west London, when the group spotted his scooter parked just 30ft away.

Mr Da Silva, an Uber Eats rider from Brazil, saw a boy sitting on it and attempted to prevent him from stealing it on 25 May.

Prosecutors said the boy put up a fight and the two others joined him, punching and kicking the victim to the ground.

The moped was pushed onto Mr Da Silva and landed on his head during the daylight attack.

He was left unconscious on the ground and died three days later from a bleed on the brain.

Prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC told jurors: “It was a momentary explosion of short-lived violence which killed Mr Da Silva.”

Jadan Richards, 19, and a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons were found guilty of murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Another boy, aged 17, was found guilty of manslaughter but acquitted of murder, while three other teenagers were cleared of both offences. The three convicted defendants are from Wandsworth.

Mr Da Silva, who moved to London just months before he was murdered, had served Brazilian army and taught the capoeira martial art.

Neurosurgeons found that he had a catastrophic and untreatable bleed on the brain as a result of the violence inflicted.

Sally-Anne Russell, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This is a tragic case of a man who died trying to protect his property. However, faced with the youths he was outnumbered.

“Witnesses watched on in horror as the unprovoked attack unfolded. They rushed to Mr Da Silva’s aid after the attackers fled, but the level of violence was such that a few days later Mr Da Silva died from his injuries.

“This was a senseless loss of life. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Da Silva.”

Detective Inspector Tariq Farooqi, who led the investigation, said Mr Da Silva was a "truly loved individual" who was trying to provide for his son and family.

“Iderval was targeted purely because he was the owner of the scooter," he added. "When he tried to prevent his livelihood from being taken away from him, the violence then ensued. They were ferocious and heartless in the way they attacked him."

Judge Mark Dennis QC adjourned sentencing until 5 February.

The attack came after a spate of violent robberies targeting takeaway drivers for their mopeds, including a spate of acid attacks.

Some of the stolen scooters are then used to commit further crimes, including mugging pedestrians.

Hundreds of moped delivery drivers protested over their safety in a ride-out following Mr Da Silva's death.

The Metropolitan Police said moped crime fell following the formation of a specialist unit.

Additional reporting by PA