Jacob Abraham: Five boys jailed for teen's torture murder Published duration 27 July 2018 Related Topics County lines drugs trade

image copyright Hertfordshire Constabulary image caption Kai Fisher-Dixon, Shuayb Mahomud, Tremayne Gray, Omarion Stephens and Abdulqaliq Mohamed were jailed for murder

Five teenagers who "tortured" a 15-year-old boy to death have been sentenced to life in prison.

Kai Fisher-Dixon, Shuayb Mahomud, Tremayne Gray, Omarion Stephens and Abdulqaliq Mohamed attacked Jacob Abraham in Waltham Cross in December.

The boys, all aged 15 and from Enfield, north London, denied murder but were found guilty by a jury after a five-week trial at St Albans Crown Court.

They can be named after the judge Mr Justice Edis lifted anonymity orders.

Gray and Stephens were sentenced to serve at least 14 years, Mohamed was sentenced to at least 13 years, and Fisher-Dixon and Mahomud handed 12-year terms.

The judge said: "The purpose was to punish him [Jacob] by the deliberate infliction of serious pain and humiliation, but to leave him alive.

"That was what I meant when I used the word torture in the course of the hearing and I do not shrink from it."

image copyright South Beds News Agency image caption Jacob Abraham died 10 days before his 16th birthday

Jurors heard how Stephens and Gray wielded the knives but the prosecution said all of the boys were responsible for Jacob's death, having lured him to the scene to suffer "at least really serious harm".

During the trial, the court heard that Jacob had been involved in a number of fights and got into an argument with the AP gang.

After posting an online challenge, he was stabbed eight times in an alleyway behind his home on 7 December.

Three of the teenagers, who were just 14 at the time, had to change out of their school uniforms before carrying out the "punishment mission".

The court heard they wanted to teach Jacob a lesson because he was a rival to their "county lines" drug operation.

image copyright Hertfordshire Constabulary image caption The boys were caught on CCTV at Waltham Cross bus station on the night of the murder

In a victim impact statement, Jacob's mother said his death had left "a large hole".

Det Ch Insp Jerome Kent said: "This was a tragic and upsetting case due to the young age of both the victim and the offenders, who are just children.