A young man in his late teens was in Lower Stone Street at 4 a.m. on 3 July 2021 when he was approached by three men he didn’t know: Paul Ojo, Quinton Nelson, and Kenneth Roberts.

Roberts then threatened him with a security stand, and Ojo stabbed him five times in the chest and abdomen with a knife. Nelson kicked the victim’s head twice when he fell to the ground.

The three men fled the scene before patrols arrived, and the victim was treated before being flown to the hospital by air ambulance. When the security stand was recovered near the scene, crime scene investigators discovered Roberts’ fingerprints.

The Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate launched an investigation, and detectives tracked down a taxi driver who had picked up the three men after the incident.

The driver had driven them to Medway, and on July 5, all three were arrested at an address in Gillingham. Burnt clothing similar to that worn by Nelson at the time of the assault was discovered in the premises’ back garden.

Investigators seized CCTV footage from the scene, and Ojo and Nelson were later charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent in a joint enterprise. Ojo was also charged with possessing a bladed article, while Roberts was charged with possessing an offensive weapon.

At Maidstone Crown Court, Roberts, of Anerley Vale, Crystal Palace, London, pleaded guilty to his charge. Ojo, of Barnfield Road, St Marys Cray, and Quinton Nelson, of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty and were found guilty after an eight-day trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Ojo, 23, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. He was also granted a two-year licence extension. Nelson, 23, was sentenced to four years in prison, while Roberts, 23, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, suspended for a year and a half.

This was a violent and cowardly attack by three men on a teenager,’ said the investigating officer, Detective Constable Chris Brett. They then fled the scene, leaving the victim with serious injuries, and attempted to cover their tracks by burning clothing. A thorough investigation led to the perpetrators’ arrest and the discovery of damning evidence, which has rightfully landed them in prison.’