Tragic pals, aged 14 and 15, were murdered in gangland machete attacks just months apart

Daily Mail​

30-07-2025

Two teenage boys who were stabbed to death in gang-related machete attacks just four months apart were good friends, it has been revealed.
Aspiring rap artist Kelyan Bokassa, 14, took flowers to Deajaun Campbell's grieving mother weeks before he was stabbed 27 times on a London bus.
Daejaun, 15, was ambushed in Woolwich, south-east London, on September 22 last year and cried out 'I'm only 15, don't let me die' as he was fatally stabbed twice.
He was friends with 14-year-old Kelyan, who was killed two miles away by two grinning 16-year-old boys with machetes on a bus in Woolwich months later, on January 7.
The pair were locked up for life with a minimum term of 15 years and 10 months at the Old Bailey last week.
Kelyan, who performed under the name 'Grippa,' had made a rap tribute on YouTube, entitled Gotta Eat, in which he was seen crouching beside a floral tribute to Daejaun, who was known as 'Boogz.'
On Wednesday, a boy aged 17 was found guilty of Daejaun's murder after a jury deliberated for more than 19 hours.
Co-accused Marko Balaz, 19, from Abbey Wood, south-east London, was found not guilty of murder, but convicted of manslaughter.
A third defendant, Jacob Losiewicz, 18, also from Abbey Wood, was cleared of wrongdoing.
The two boys' murders, though not directly related, bore striking similarities and have resulted in pleas by their families to end the 'senseless killings'.
Both killings had been linked to street gang culture, with Daejaun described as being exploited and groomed by older youths.
Daejaun was allegedly targeted for a 'gang check' when he was spotted near a house his killers were visiting.
Prosecutor Mukul Chawla KC had said he was attacked by Balaz and the 17-year-old boy before a witness had heard Daejaun screaming for 'help' as he was stabbed.
He also threw a large knife that he was carrying, although it appears to have only hit a metal fence or railing and broken into pieces, the court had heard.
The 17-year-old attacker was caught on video dropping his machete and leaning down to pick it up as he made off.
Daejaun fell to his knees in the street, having suffered two stab wounds and six superficial cuts.
Mr Chawla told jurors the motive for the killing was unclear but that Daejaun had been carrying money and drugs, possibly crack cocaine.
He said: 'He may therefore have been a person exploited, by reason of his age if for no other reason, to be used as carrier and supplier of drugs by organisations that will use younger people and other vulnerable people for those purposes.
'That may be or may have been the reason why he was attacked.'
At an earlier hearing Bill Emlyn Jones, prosecuting, said: 'There have in that area been a series of encounters amounting to tit for tat violence with all the hallmarks of a turf war between local drug dealers and that appears to the prosecution to be the context for and likely motive for the stabbing of the deceased in this case.'
The two older defendants admitted being at the scene but denied being involved in Daejaun's killing.
The 17-year-old youth admitted the killing but claimed he acted in self defence and alone.
He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon - a machete - in a public place.
The 17-year-old also had previous convictions for carrying a 'kukri' style knife in 2021 and having a machete and affray relating to a fight in October 2023 in which a male suffered a cut to his face and a stab wound.
The court heard Balaz had previous convictions for carrying knives and possession of cannabis. Mr Losiewicz had no convictions to his name.
Judge Sarah Munro, KC, ordered reports to be prepared to assess Balaz's dangerousness ahead of sentence on 6 October.
She thanked the jury and told them: 'I wish I could tell you this was an unusual case. I am afraid it is far from unusual.
'It is an absolutely typical case this court sees day in day out.'
In the wake of Daejaun's murder, his family released a statement in which Daejaun was described as 'naturally gifted, intelligent, creative and musically talented'.
They said: 'The brutal manner which Daejaun was taken away from us is sad, and he not the first young person nor will he be the last, this senseless killing needs to stop.'
Last week, Kelyan's mother Marie Bokassa made an appeal for authorities to do more to stop the violence, saying: 'Our streets at bleeding.'
In a victim impact statement, Ms Bokassa said: 'At least my son is at peace, and those two kids are going to have a really tough time.
'I ask myself what has happened to those two boys that has resulted in that terrible act of violence, and I cannot imagine how can they be so angry.
'What they did was horrific and I do not know what has led them to do this, and maybe I will never.'
The heartbroken mother also revealed she had spent her son's 15th birthday at his graveside.
The young boy called 'I want my mum' after he was mortally wounded by the two youths, aged 16, in front of horrified passengers on a route 472 bus in Woolwich.
The duo fled the scene and hid for six days before they were eventually discovered and arrested after being identified by CCTV footage.
Before the brazen attack, CCTV showed Kelyan boarding the bus shortly after 2pm, heading to his appointment at Woolwich Youth Justice Centre.
Earlier, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said he looked around and out of the windows before taking his seat 'giving every impression that he was concerned for his safety'
Twenty minutes later, the defendants, who cannot be named, boarded the bus each armed with identical machetes hidden in their clothes.
Kelyan was sitting on the back seat on the top deck, with a knife in the waistband of his trousers.
The pair walked towards him 'with purpose' and withdrew their blades before immediately stabbing him without uttering a word to their victim.
The youths thrust the machetes towards the schoolboy 27 times in an attack that lasted around 14 seconds.
The 14-year-old had no time to reach for his own knife which stayed in his trousers, the court heard.
Instead, he attempted 'in vain' to shield himself with a schoolbag, the prosecutor said, as several passengers fled in panic when they realised what had happened.
They described hearing 'intense screaming' from the back of the bus, as well as the victim shouting "Help. Help. I've been stabbed".
'They describe both defendants making quick, forceful movements towards Kelyan Bokassa as he tried to defend himself,' Ms Heer added.
Just before 2.27pm, the bus driver activated his emergency alarm as the defendants fled the vehicle when it stopped at Woolwich Ferry.
Following this, Kelyan stumbled down the aisle to the stairs, where another passenger went to help him.
He was heard saying: 'Take me to my mum's. I want my mum,' before his legs buckled, as he bled heavily from a leg wound.
Officers found Kelyan had collapsed and his body was limp, and despite attempts to save him, the youngster died at the scene at 3.23pm.
Following the vicious attack, one of the machetes was thrown into the River Thames, but was later recovered by police.
The two teenagers were later arrested on 15 January 2025. Both defendants have previous convictions for carrying blades in public.
Following their arrest, the younger of the two told police: 'I'm telling you right now bruv, I'm not involved bruv, not f-ing involved.'
When asked what he knew about Keylan he replied 'f-k all'.
Ms Heer said: 'When shown the CCTV footage of the incident and asked how he felt, he said, "Sad to see innit. Young person lose his life man, it's sad.."
Police cordons were put in place amid a murder probe after the stabbing on the 472 bus
He said he did not want to watch the CCTV because it was distressing and sad to see a young kid get stabbed but he continued to deny that he was involved.'
Both of the killers pleaded guilty to Kelyan's murder and to possessing a bladed article.
In a televised sentencing on Friday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC sentenced them to life behind bars.
The duo will be locked up for a least 15 years and 10 months before being eligible for parole. One of the youths in the dock of the Old Bailey smiled as he was sent down.
Judge Lucraft said Kenyan's death was a 'senseless loss' of yet another young life to the 'horrors of knife crime '.