Life term for boy, 15, who killed 'abuser'

The teenager was told he must serve at least nine years behind bars for the murder of Robert Daley, 45.

A girl aged 15 – who claimed she had been abused by Mr Daley – was given a six-year sentence for his manslaughter.

The 45-year-old victim was stabbed five times in April at his flat in Brixton, south London, hours after a separate sex abuse case against him was dropped.

His killers, who were both 14 at the time, were convicted last month by an Old Bailey jury, each by a majority of 10-2.

The court heard that the girl, her 16-year-old sister and a woman had complained to police that Mr Daley had abused them.

Only the 16-year-old had been willing to proceed with her allegations, leading to his arrest. But lawyers decided there was a lack of evidence.

It was after a phone call in which Mr Daley rang the 16-year-old and "gloated" that the case had been dropped that the boy – who was the 16-year-old's boyfriend – and the girl went to his home and killed him.

A struggle broke out in his kitchen and he was fatally injured when two of the five knife wounds pierced his heart.

Judge Anthony Morris told the boy: "You saw what you were doing as acting in revenge for what you saw as an insult to your girlfriend."

The killers disposed of the blade, a mobile telephone, and bloodstained clothing, the court heard.

The judge said: "You both showed chilling criminal sophistication for 14-year-olds."

He added that he was prepared to accept that the allegations against Mr Daley were true.

But he said it was "understandable" in the circumstances of

the case that the Crown Prosecution Service had dropped the case.

During the trial, each defendant had denied the charges against them, claiming that the victim had grabbed the girl round the throat and tried to carry out an indecent assault.

They said the boy started jabbing 6ft 1in Mr Daley with a knife as she struggled to free herself.

The girl wiped away tears as she told the court she had been indecently assaulted by him twice when she was 12.

Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, told jurors that there was evidence suggesting Mr Daley was something of a "Jekyll and Hyde character" but warned: "This is not a vigilante society."