Men who mowed down teenage boy in reckless car chase jailed

Two men involved in a reckless car chase that ended with a 16-year-old boy being killed have been jailed.

Aaron Conway, 39, of Villas Road, Plumstead and Joseph Barnes, 41, of Byfleet, Surrey, appeared at Woolwich Crown Court today.

Barnes, who had been convicted of murder following a trial earlier this year, was sentenced to life in prison and will serve a minimum of 25 years. 

Conway, who was previously convicted of manslaughter, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. 

A third man who had been charged in relation to the same incident was found not guilty following a trial. 

The court heard how 16-year-old Tafari Thompson-Mintah had been in a relationship with Conway’s daughter, which had broken down leading to a series of disputes. 

Conway had been determined to threaten and intimidate Tafari.

On October 9, 2023, Conway and Barnes got into a stolen car with Barnes driving and Conway in the passenger seat. 

Spotting Tafari, they chased him at high speed before swerving towards him and deliberately knocking him off his scooter, police said.

Tafari was thrown into the path of an oncoming car and run over. 

The teenager sustained profound head injuries. Emergency services attended and provided urgent medical treatment, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. 

CCTV footage reviewed by the Met led to Conway, Barnes and a third man being arrested days later. 

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe, who led the investigation, said: “Conway encouraged Barnes to drive recklessly and in doing so both played a part in the cruel and senseless ending of a young boy’s life. 

“This has been an incredibly distressing time for Tafari’s family. 

“Nothing will erase the pain of their loss, but I hope that today’s lengthy prison sentence will give them some small sense of closure.”

Pictured top: 16-year-old Tafari Thompson-Mintah, who was killed on October 9, 2023 (Picture: The Met)