Two teens admit fatal machete bus attack on 14-year-old schoolboy

Daily Record

23-05-2025

The shocking attack on 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa on the top deck of a bus was caught on CCTV.
Two 16-year-old boys have pleaded guilty to the murder of 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa, who was stabbed 27 times with machetes while riding a bus.
Kelyan, an aspiring rapper, was attacked on the upper deck of a bus on January 7 while returning home in Woolwich, southeast London. Despite the efforts of emergency services, he died at the scene from a severed femoral artery.
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The two teenagers, who cannot be named due to their age, admitted to the murder during a hearing at the Old Bailey. They also pleaded guilty to possessing a knife on Woolwich Church Street.
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The courtroom was marked by emotional scenes as Kelyan's family, seated just metres from the dock, reacted tearfully to the pleas.
Initially, proceedings were paused when one defence barrister requested time to consult with his client following what appeared to be an unexpected plea. The youth later confirmed his guilty plea upon returning to court, reports the Mirror.
During an earlier hearing, prosecutor Tom Little KC stated that the attack was premeditated. The assailants, armed with large machetes, boarded the bus knowing Kelyan would be there, approached him directly, and launched a frenzied attack. One of the weapons was later recovered from the River Thames.
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Both defendants had previous convictions, including for carrying knives in public. One was under a referral order at the time of the killing. They remained at large for several days before being arrested.
Scotland Yard took the unusual step of releasing CCTV images and the names of suspects early in the investigation. Judge Lucraft has indicated that he will consider a media request to lift reporting restrictions on the defendants' identities at the time of sentencing.
Kelyan's death marked the first teenage knife fatality in London in 2025.