Two men given life sentences after brutal car and knife attack which left Brixton teen with life-changing injuries

Two men involved in a brutal attack on a teenage boy, who has been left with life-changing injuries from which he may never fully recover, have been jailed.

James Bascoe-Smith was aged 17 when he was set upon as he was riding a bicycle near his home in Lambeth last February. James was treated at the scene, but his heart stopped beating and he stopped breathing.

James, now 19, has undergone a series of operations since the merciless assault, which saw him run over and stabbed a number of times.

The extensive injuries to his organs and the neurological damage mean he now uses a wheelchair and requires constant care and support – likely for the rest of his life.

At the Old Bailey on Friday, Leon Alan Rashid, 20, of Dunheved Road, Thornton Heath, and Taiquane Lewis, 19, of Kennington Park Road, Kennington, were handed life sentences having been convicted of conspiracy to murder at an earlier hearing.

Rashid was jailed for a minimum of 14 years and Lewis a minimum of 13 years. Rashid was sentenced to an additional two years for an offence of possession of an offensive weapon – to run concurrently.

James’ aunt, Rachel Duncan, said in a statement on behalf of his family: “Today is the end of our journey in the fight for justice.

“James was fortunate that he survived, however he has been left with severe life-changing injuries.

“The trauma caused to my nephew and the family means we are now living with the impact of knife violence forever.

“Our family will continue to campaign to eradicate violence on our streets, as we do not want another family to go through the trauma that we are currently living.”

Detectives were able to identify Rashid and Lewis as a result of forensic examinations. Rashid was identified through DNA found on a knife discovered by officers which forensic tests later revealed also had James’ blood on it.

Officers also identified footage which showed Rashid running away from an area where a vehicle had crashed and been abandoned after the incident.

Lewis was identified after his DNA was recovered from the same vehicle. During a search of his bedroom, officers found the same type of knives as those used during the attack on James. His DNA was also found on a sheath discovered in a second abandoned vehicle.

Detective Superintendent Neerav Patel said: “James was declared clinically dead for 50 minutes after this attack, which saw him run down and stabbed by cowards.

“He was completely innocent, just out riding his bicycle when he was mistaken for a rival in a senseless dispute between opposing gangs.

“Passers-by offered immediate assistance, and paramedics refused to give up on James, miraculously restarting his heart. It is nothing short of a miracle that James is with us today.”

After he was attacked, James managed to video-call his mother to tell her he had been stabbed and was dying. She immediately ran to his aid.

London Air Ambulance doctors arrived and conducted a thoracotomy, which gives access to the chest cavity in order to do manual heart massage.

James was defibrillated four times. On the fourth attempt, his heart began beating again.

The teenager had been test-riding a bicycle his mother had recently bought, having left his home just minutes earlier.

The attackers knocked him off his bike in a Range Rover driven at speed, while a VW Passat followed close behind.

Witnesses described seeing James lying prone on the ground, surrounded by a group of knife-wielding males who were stabbing and slashing at him. Another male stood by and acted as look-out and get-away driver for one of the vehicles.

He shouted something to alert the attacking group, who piled into the VW Passat which then sped off before crashing a short time later.

The vehicle was recovered by police and traces of Lewis’ DNA were found. Officers also found five knives in and around the car – two of which had James’ blood on them.

Onlookers saw sparks flying from underneath the Range Rover as it made off, caused by James’ bicycle being dragged along.

Pictured top: James Bascoe-Smith (Pictures: Met Police)