Dad, 29, hacked to death in ‘public execution’ at silent disco on Bank Holiday

Four people have been convicted of murder after a man was stabbed to death in a 'public execution' at a silent disco last summer.

Father-of-six Andre Gayle, 29, was stabbed nine times in the early hours of August 31 last year in an alleyway close to Easton Community Centre, Bristol.

CCTV footage released by police after the verdict showed Andre being chased through a large crowd who had gathered for a silent disco.

He died at the Bristol Royal Infirmary two days later.

28-year-old Rico Corbin, of Speedwell; 28-year-old Tyan Finlayson, also of Speedwell, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons were found guilty of murder on June 10 following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Jerome Lewis, 25, from London, pleaded guilty to murder at an earlier hearing and the four will all be sentenced on July 5.

A fifth man, aged 40, was found not guilty.

In a statement released after the verdict, Andre's mother said: "My family is grief-stricken and struggling to come to terms with not only losing my son but also the brutality and senseless evil in the way they attacked and killed him; it was tantamount to a public execution.

"These men are fearless, remorseless and have shown total disregard for people in the community of Bristol and caused innocent bystanders to flee in terror at what was unfolding in front of them.

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"During this trial we have had to watch CCTV footage of Andre's last moments alive which has been harrowing, the pain is immeasurable.

"It is still hard to accept that he is gone and I personally don't think I will ever be able to accept the loss.

"Too many parents are losing and have lost their sons and family members to this epidemic of knife crime and I want my grandchildren, Andre's children, to be safe and have a future without these murderers walking amongst us.

"We have now come together as a family to love, guide and support Andre's children whose young lives have dramatically changes.

"We need time as a family to grieve properly and try to heal. I would like to thank everyone who has given and shown so much support, I couldn't have got through this without them."

Detective Inspector Roger Doxsey, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, added: "Andre Gayle died in a senseless knife attack, which was carried out in front of a large crowd who'd gathered for a silent disco in the early hours of the late August Bank Holiday Monday.

"While the motive for this pre-planned attack on Andre has never been fully understood, the CCTV evidence is clear and unmistakeable.

"It has shown the investigation team and indeed the jury this was a savage, vicious and unrestrained attack on an unarmed man by a group of cowardly individuals who acted together, and who were prepared to use knives to achieve their objective.

"They showed a total disregard to other members of the public who were in the immediate vicinity, which included another innocent man who was repeatedly stabbed in a case of mistaken identity, but who thankfully survived his injuries."

Detective Inspector Doxsey added: "Knife crime is a current curse on our communities and we have shown together that we will not stand for it, and we'll painstakingly track down and bring offenders to justice."

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