Four convicted of orphan's murder

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Four men have been found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old orphan who was repeatedly stabbed in a park in south-east London.

Sunday Essiet was attacked in daylight in Woolwich in February 2008. He died with nine stab wounds in his back.

Sunday, a Nigerian, was chased by the men around the park in the "ruthless" attack, the Old Bailey jury heard.

Myles Maddy, 19, Ademola Docherty, 20, Adeniyi Oloyede, 20, and Ifedotun Gbadebo-Araoye, 20, denied the murder.

Maddy, of Thamesmead, Docherty, of Plumstead, Oloyede, of Abbey Wood, and Gbadebo-Araoye, 20, of Charlton, will be sentenced at a later date.

'Over-reaction'

Sunday, who was known to his friends as Baby, had no permanent home and little schooling.

After his father's death in Nigeria, Sunday came to the UK with his mother and sister.

Soon after his mother fell ill and returned to Nigeria where she died, the court heard.

The four men attacked Sunday in a park close to Plumstead station following a previous confrontation with Sunday and his friends over a gold chain allegedly stolen from the victim's friend.

One of Sunday's friends took out a gun, described in court as harmless, from a bag Sunday was carrying during that incident.

This led to the "ruthless" over-reaction, the court heard.

During the trial Edward Brown, QC, prosecuting, told the court the boy was killed despite his pleas.

"Sunday Essiet was hounded, first to one side of the park and attacked, managed to escape and ran, chased by the defendants, 150 metres to the other side to a wall where there was no escape."