20-Year-Old Victoria Osoteku Jailed For 12 Years For Masterminding Schoolboy Stabbing

Victoria Osoteku had just turned 18 when she used Facebook to invite a 20-strong mob to hunt down Sofyen Belamouadden.

She also bought the £3.99 Argos knife set used to stab Sofyen at least nine times and was seen kicking the 15-year-old as he lay dying in front of commuters at Victoria station.

Speaking at the Old Bailey, Judge Christopher Moss QC told Osoteku: 'You played a pivotal role in the events leading up to that day and must take a substantial share of the responsibility for that.'

But after the sentencing, Sofyen's family expressed their disappointment at Osoteku's sentence.

His mother, Naina Ghailan, reacted angrily to the sentence. She said: 'I'm disgusted. She's got 12 years and she'll only serve half. She's an adult and she should have got life. She planned the whole thing.'

Witnesses described seeing 'knives glinting in the air' as the mob chased Sofyen through the ticket hall.

Osoteku, now 20, had been found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.

She is the 13th person – and only female – to be sentenced for Sofyen's 'merciless' killing in March 2010 which was the result of 'simmering tensions' between pupils at rival schools.

Her conviction brings the total of sentences handed down to 124 years.
Osoteku, of New Cross, south London, admitted being at the scene of the attack but denied taking part.

During her four-month trial, she claimed she 'froze' when she saw Sofyen being stabbed and 'nudged' him with her foot 'to see if he was OK'.