Good Family

A 19-year-old has been found guilty of murder after his mum alerted police that he had stabbed another teenager to death.

Joshua Delbono during a fight between two groups in Radstock, Somerset.

Delbono's mother called 999 when he returned to his home in Frome, Bristol Crown Court had heard.

He was found guilty by The Jury after seven hours of deliberation following a two-week trial.

Delbono had admitted stabbing Charley but had denied murder, claiming he had been defending a friend.

He is due to be sentenced at 14:00 BST.

The Court heard that when Delbono's mother called The Police , She Said : " My son's killed someone. He's in My House now, I can't let him go anywhere. "

Charley died after being stabbed in a Car Park near The Town 's library.

The Court heard he was with a group of six friends at about 18. 30 BST on The Night , when two vehicles drove into the Car Park .

Delbono, from Frome, was driving The Second car.

There was a history of bad feeling between The Victim And One of Delbono's group, The Jury heard.

An Exchange of insults between Charley and the defendant's friend rapidly escalated into The Fight between the groups.

Seconds later the defendant got out of his vehicle armed with a five-inch knife and stabbed The Victim several times, The Jury heard.

As Charley bled to death, Delbono shouted " don't mess With Us again" as he and his friends left The Scene , witnesses reported.

The whole incident lasted less than Five Minutes .

Following The Killing , Delbono drove to Shearwater Lake near Warminster in Wiltshire where he threw away The Knife and burned some of his clothes.

One of Delbono's group filmed The Blaze on their phone.

Fiona Lamdin, Home and Social Affairs Correspondent, BBC West

Radstock is a town, nestled on The Edge of the Mendips, close to beautiful countryside - a place where one local told me " stabbings just don't happen here".

Nine Months on, the murder of 16-year old-Charley Bates still hurts this town and The Locals are still very much grieving for him.

Charley was a former pupil at Writhlington School, had just finished his GCSEs, and was getting ready to start at college.

He was well loved and well known, often seen riding down The High street on his moped.

One Man told me " he's from a Good Family , who've lived here for years" but people were nervous to speak out of turn, worried about upsetting Charley's family.

On 2 September 2022, what would have been his 17th birthday, hundreds came together for Charley's memorial.

And months later in the Car Park behind The Library where Charley died, three parking spaces are still cordoned off.

The spaces have become a memorial, covered in yellow flowers and flags, the teenager's favourite colour.

The Police , school and youth services are still working hard together to calm tensions and implore Young People not to carry knives.

The Court heard Charley had also taken a bag containing a knife and a BB gun to the Car Park on The Night of his death.

Following the stabbing, one of his friends dumped it in nearby woodland but it was recovered by police.

Charley's friends said he was not armed during The Fight , The Jury heard.

Delbono initially made No Comment to police questions, but later admitted stabbing someone.

In a prepared statement, He Said : " I thought My Friend was being stabbed - this caused me to react. "

He Said he knew the person he had bought his vehicle from had left a knife inside it but that he did not mean to cause Charley serious harm.

" I didn't realise he was hurt. It was a chance encounter. I'm truly devastated Charley was fatally injured, it was never my intention, " He Said .

Source of news: bbc.com