Litter row death youths face jail

Two teenagers who admitted killing a man in a row over litter have been told they will face jail terms.Promising graduate Evren Anil, 23, died from serious head injuries after being threatened with a knife and punched to the ground.The row started after one of the youths threw a chocolate bar wrapper through Mr Anil's car window in Crystal Palace, south east London, in August last year.On Monday, a 16-year-old youth from Thornton Heath, south east London, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and knife possession as his trial was due to begin at the Old Bailey.His plea could only be reported after his 17-year-old co-defendant, from Tottenham, north London, admitted the two charges.Judge Ann Goddard told the pair, who cannot be named because of their ages: "It seems to me custody is the appropriate outcome."Sentencing will take place at a later date after the judge hears legal argument about the precise version of events, which is disputed.The 17-year-old admits throwing a chocolate bar wrapper through the window of Mr Anil's car, the court heard.Jo Korner QC, prosecuting, said: "Having done so the defendant was confronted by the deceased and a verbal dispute ensued."There was some physical contact between the two involving the deceased grabbing the defendant's T-shirt. This resulted in the defendant punching the deceased."She said the 17-year-old also admitted taking out a knife to frighten Mr Anil but claimed he did not intend to use it, then passed it to the other teenager.Miss Korner said the 16-year-old's version of events, that "at no stage did he threaten Mr Anil with a knife" and only used the weapon to threaten another man, was not accepted.After the killing Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons said: "We have got a 23-year-old university graduate starting his way in life, with a new job and a close-knit family."He challenges their behaviour and this is what happens. People say 'Why did he get out of the car?' People are entitled to challenge these yobs' behaviour."When they produced the knife he tried to get back in the car. Your life is worth more than a chocolate bar."Mr Anil's sister said: "Words can't describe the boy. He was an angel. He was my younger brother and my best friend. He was so generous. He was a very bright boy. I was so privileged to have a brother like him. I just miss him so much."Mr Anil was a week into his first graduate job, as a programme developer for an IT company, after gaining a first class honours degree in computer sciences from Kingston University, when he died.© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.

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ITN | March 4, 2008

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