Teen found guilty of Ryan Gray murder

A teen has been found guilty today of the brutal murder of a defenceless man near Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Taylor Fernandes-Nelson, 18, of Vivian Comma Close, Finsbury Park, plunged a knife into the chest of Ryan Gray, 24, in a vicious Highbury attack last summer.

Mr Gray was beaten with a crutch, kicked and stabbed seven times in broad daylight in Horsell Road.

Horrified passers-by bravely intervened to try and save his life, but to no avail.

He was treated at the scene and taken to hospital where he died four days later.

Fernandes-Nelson was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey, while co-defendants Delton Campbell-Brown, 19, of Cazenove Road, Stoke Newington and Stephen Roberts, 22, of Highbury New Park, Highbury, were cleared after claiming they did not know their friend had a knife.

Fernandes-Nelson knifed the victim in his back and chest, while Campbell-Brown kicked Mr Gray repeatedly as he lay on the ground, the court heard.

Roberts, who was on crutches, was accused of using the support to join in the attack on Mr Gray.

Prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC described the assault, which took place at around 2.20pm on June 4 last year, as “fast, brutal and deliberate”.

He said Mr Gray had no chance of defending himself against three attackers, who chased him from Holloway Road into nearby Drayton Park.

The trio “must have known” Mr Gray but the motive for the attack is unknown, the prosecutor said.

He added: “Fernandes-Nelson wielded the knife and stabbed it repeatedly, deliberately and successfully into his target, the upper body of Ryan Gray.

“Campbell-Brown and Roberts played their part, participating in this savage attack, further rendering Ryan Gray defenceless to the knifing, as Campbell-Brown aimed a series of kicks and Roberts struck him repeatedly with a crutch.”