The family of talented footballer Jason Isaacs who was stabbed to death after his group of friends were chased by a moped gang in Northolt have waited more than a year to find out who killed the teenager.

Now they know.

Joel Amade was found guilty of murdering 18-year-old Jason by a jury after a trial at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, April 17.

Jason and four of his friends were in Northolt after deciding to spend their Saturday night at a friend’s house.

They walked to Oldfields Circus and bought some drinks, before heading along Orchard Close.

As they got past the junction heading towards Girton Road, two mopeds appeared and drove at speed towards the group.

On each moped was a rider and a pillion passenger, who were all masked or wearing helmets and carrying weapons. They stopped the mopeds at Newnham Gardens, jumped off, and began to chase Jason and his friends.

They resumed the chase on their mopeds and Jason became separated from the group.

He was set upon in Newnham Close, a cul-de-sac, in what was described in court as a shocking and sustained knife attack just before 10.30pm on November 18, 2017.

Jason was stabbed eight times, possibly caused by two different weapons - a sword or machete.

(Image: Craig Henry)

He was stabbed four times in the back, and it was one of these which proved to be the fatal injury. Jason also had a wounds to his upper right arm, right elbow, right knee and left thigh.

One of Jason’s friends and a resident, whose door Jason had knocked on in distress, attempted first aid after he collapsed in their front garden.

He was taken to St Mary’s Hospital, and immediately had surgery. He remained critical for some time before dying at 11.55am on Tuesday, November 21.

Amade, originally from Harrow but who was living in Eastwood Road, Ilford, in East London, at the time,

The 18-year-old denied murder but his blood was found on a moped recovered by police in the investigation. DNA profiled identified Amade as being the likely contributor on a one-in-a-billion basis.

Amade left his home in Ilford at 4.45pm on the day of the attack and used public transport to get to Northolt.

Amade's helmet matched that of moped rider

CCTV showed that he was carrying a black motorcycle helmet and had made a telephone call just before he headed over to north west London,

By 12.30am, around two hours after the attack, Amade was caught on a CCTV camera at Wembley Park station wearing the same clothes as he had been seen in earlier that day.

Upon his arrest at the Ilford address, these clothes - a puffed jacket and hoody were found - alongside the helmet which also featured a distinctive V shaped logo. This matched that of a moped pillion rider captured on nearby CCTV shortly before the attack.

He will sentenced on Monday, May 13.

'Jason's family were not able to say goodbye'

Detective Inspector Simon Deefholts, from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “On that night in 2017, Jason was looking forward to spending time with his friends, much like any typical teenager in London.

“No young person should go out for the night with his friends and never return, but that was the consequence of this ferocious attack.

“Tragically, his Saturday night ended by paying the highest of prices, and my thoughts and condolences remain with his family and friends

“Throughout this process, Amade maintained that he was not even in the vicinity of Northholt on the night of the murder, but this has been found to be false.

“I would like to recognise the bravery of Jason’s mother and family, as harrowing evidence about the murder was heard and shown in court.

“The residents of Newnham Close and Jason’s friends who tried in vain to save his life, will also have to live with the events of that night for the rest of their lives.

“Jason never regained consciousness and his family were not able to say goodbye.

“I hope today’s verdict brings some degree of closure and modest level of comfort to his loved ones.”

Show more

Kaleel Nyeila, of Greenford, also 18, stood trial for murder alongside Amade and was found not guilty.