Teen drill rapper, 18, jailed for 19 years for knifing schoolboy, 15, to death in ‘ruthless’ chicken shop gang attack

A TEEN drill rapper “embedded in knife gang culture” has been jailed for a minimum of 19 years after he stabbed a boy to death.

Nyron Jean-Baptiste, 18, knifed Jay Hughes, 15, near a chicken shop in Bellingham, South East London, in November last year.

The teen was today sentenced to life at the Old Bailey after a judge condemned the “brazen, quick and ruthless” attack.

Jay was one of five people killed in six days as knife violence spirals out of control in Lawless London. 

An emotional tribute from Jay’s mother Cindy was read at the hearing which remembered her “special” son.

Addressing the killer, she said: “You need to realise that you have changed our lives forever and that we are the ones left serving a life sentence.”

Jean-Baptiste, of Penge, South East London, who can now be named after turning 18 following his trial, launched the attack with two other masked males who remain on the run.

Jay Hughes did not stand a chance of surviving this senseless, brutal and ruthless attack

Judge Anuja Dhir QC

He already had four convictions for knife crimes before the murder and has been involved in 13 violent incidents since he was held in custody.

Judge Anuja Dhir QC said she had “no doubt” he intended to kill his victim.

She added: “Jay Hughes did not stand a chance of surviving this senseless, brutal and ruthless attack.”

The court heard Jean-Baptiste had appeared in “gang videos on YouTube” and wrote violent drill rap lyrics before the killing.

The killer, with braided hair and wearing a grey prison tracksuit, was flanked by two security officers and showed no emotion throughout the hearing as Jay’s mother, grandmother and other relatives looked on.

He died of a single stab wound to the heart after the attack at 5.20pm on a Thursday.

IN HIDING

Jean-Baptiste, who was 17 at the time, jumped out of a car, ran towards Jay and stabbed him, leaving a 5in deep wound to his chest.

A friend with Jay was chased by the two others but escaped as shocked onlookers watched.

The judge said Jay had no gang affiliation and was just “standing in a street”.

She said: “At the time you were a members of the M20 gang, or an associated gang, and you were embedded in knife gang culture.”

After the attack, Jean-Baptiste went into hiding and was not caught until the following month when he was arrested in Gravesend, Kent, carrying a “large hunting knife”.

Police raided a flat where he was staying and found “a collection of knives and masks”.

The cordon placed around the murder scene drew mourners including school friends who left flowers and cards.

Mrs Hughes’s statement added: “This sense of loss in unbearable. We are broken-hearted and always will be, but he will never be forgotten and will be deeply loved forever. All we want now for Jay is that justice is done.”

Jean-Baptiste was also handed a four-month sentence for admitting possession of a knife in Gravesend on December 10.

The judge commended two officers involved in the investigation.