Mum begged for mercy as ‘pack’ of masked zombie knife thugs stabbed her teen son, 16, to death
A TEEN boy was stabbed to death by a "pack" of masked zombie knife thugs in front of his mum as she begged for mercy.
Camron Smith, 16, had desperately tried to barricade the door to his mum's bedroom in Croydon, South London, when the killers forced their way in.
His mum Audrey Johnson shielded her son behind her back as she begged the gang not to attack him.
But the thugs surrounded Camron and stabbed him eight times during the bloodbath in July 2021.
Audrey today spoke of her torment at seeing her only son die as a 17-year-old boy was jailed for eight years for manslaughter.
She told the Old Bailey: "On 1 July 2021 my world changed forever when my son was cruelly murdered in front of my very eyes.
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"His life was cut so short and cut short right before me in my bedroom, a scene so horrific I never thought it would happen in my dreams never mind in my home where I am supposed to feel safe and secure.
"Camron was my first and only child, and the emptiness inside of me and his death will haunt me every day for the rest of my life.
"Words cannot describe the rush of love you feel when you get to hold your child for the first time.
"I was there for his first breath and there for his last. This was not how I imagined motherhood to be."
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The killer teen had two previous convictions for possession of a knife, one for assault on an emergency worker and one for an assault on his grandmother.
He was wearing an electronic tag at the time of the horror in 2021.
The court was told the gang had been hunting for people they associated with the stabbing of one of their friends the previous day.
Effectively "hunting as a pack", they entered three different homes in Croydon - including one that wasn't even a current address.
The terrified new homeowner had woken to find a masked man in her bedroom before the gang made their way to Camron's.
Once there, they stormed inside armed with knives, masks and gloves and chased the teen into his mum's bedroom.
Camron, who was unarmed and in his underwear at the time, was killed in less than two minutes.
Ringleader Romain LaPierre, 20, was previously jailed for 28 years after being convicted of murder.
The killer, whose dad shopped him to police, was found to have thrust a zombie knife into Camron’s stomach.
Jordan Tcheuko, 19, was jailed for 15 years for manslaughter.
Sentencing the 17-year-old, Judge Angela Rafferty said he should not be named, despite being less than three months away from his 18th birthday.
She said he was a victim of modern day slavery and exploitation by gangs.
The judge added: "Camron Smith was stabbed with large knives relentlessly without mercy as his mother begged for mercy.
"You were part of an aggressive group who chased and stabbed another person and there was a plan to hurt Camron.
"He was stabbed in front of his mother who tried to save his life.
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"You have done two very bad things but there are real signs you are starting to turn your life around.
"You must know you need to deal with your violent impulses and outbursts."
