The 15-year-old will serve a minimum of 15 years before he is eligible for parole
By Victoria Munro

The 15-year-old boy who murdered Chingford dad James Markham was jailed for life at the Old Bailey yesterday.

The boy, who cannot be named due to his young age, will serve a minimum sentence of 15 years before he is eligible for parole.

James Markham, a 45-year-old father of three, died on August 9th last year just outside his Churchill Terrace home.

The court previously heard he had confronted a group of teenagers loitering near his home, reportedly frustrated by recurring antisocial behaviour in his road, and approached them with a drill bit in an apparent attempt to scare them off.

His killer pulled out a knife and the pair swung at each other. James was struck three times – in the back, armpit and chest – and the last blow pierced his lung.

Detective Inspector John Marriott, from Specialist Crime, said: “James was a loving family man who leaves behind a partner and three children. That day they were met with a horrific scenario that no family should have to endure.

“I hope this conviction will provide them with a small measure of comfort as they continue to grieve James.

“The teenager in this incident was subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order that he had flouted on a number of occasions and should never have been in the area.

“The knife he used was never recovered, indicating he went to some lengths to try to distance himself from this horrific crime.

“But my team worked to collate a wealth of witness, CCTV and forensic evidence proving his guilt. He will now, quite rightly, spend a substantial amount of time behind bars.

“I’d like to thank the skill and determination of my team in working to deliver justice to James’ family. My thoughts are with them today.”

James’ killer was quickly identified, after dropping his mobile phone while he ran away from the scene of the crime, and arrested two days later.

Despite his lawyer attempting to convince a jury he had acted in self-defence, he was found guilty of murder in July this year.

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