Man jailed for killing teen who crashed moped

A man has been jailed for 14 years for killing a teenage phone snatcher who crashed a stolen moped into a lamppost after being stabbed.

Francie McCarthy, 22, knifed 16-year-old Deonte Mowatt-Slater in the neck and chest in Islington, north London, in October last year.

The Old Bailey heard the pair were linked with rival gangs. The jury found McCarthy guilty of manslaughter after clearing him of murder.

In sentencing, judge Sarah Munro KC noted how easy it was for boys like Deonte to be groomed into crime on the promise of "fun, money, and invincibility" only to find themselves out of their depth.

Ms Munro said the case was "yet another example of the fatal consequences which stem from the carrying of knives" and observed longer sentences "sadly do not deter others from carry knives and injuring others".

Deonte's mother Danine Mowatt told the court her son had been a "model student" before secondary school when he got "sucked into a lifestyle" she did not approve of.

She moved away from Islington and sought professional help in an attempt to steer Deonte away from bad influences, she said.

On the evening before his death, Deonte returned to his old stomping ground, the court heard.

Mrs Mowatt said: "This was my baby, I carried him, felt him move and grow. He was someone, he was my whole world and now it felt his life meant nothing."

The court heard McCarthy was a drug dealer and habitual carrier of knives who had been in the Islington area to collect a drug debt when his path crossed with Deonte.

He told the jury he thought he was going to be robbed and waved a knife in self-defence.

Deonte had been convicted of stealing a bicycle in August 2022 and was caught in January 2023 snatching mobile phones while riding a bike. At the time of his death, he was riding a stolen moped with false plates.

The court heard McCarthy had previous convictions for drugs, assault and possessing offensive weapons.

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