What happened to Joseph Riches? 4 teens sentenced to life in prison for attacking 16-year-old with machete, filming his death

Joseph Riches, a 16-year-old was attacked by four teens near Stourbridge town center on Saturday, July 12, 2023. One of the teens attacked Riches with a machete while another filmed the attack, which took place in broad daylight. After attacking Joseph, and leaving him to bleed to death, the four ran away from the scene.

The BBC reported that the four accused have been jailed for the murder on Thursday, February 15, 2024. Since two of the four accused are under the age of 16, they are considered minors and their names weren't initially revealed. However, the other two, Joshua Edgington and Dray Simmonds were both 19 at the time of the murder and were 20 at the time of the sentencing.

Both 20-year-olds are supposed to serve a minimum term of 21 years while the 16-year-olds will serve 15 years and six months each, per the BBC. The judge reportedly said that all four of the defendants were compliant in the murder as they knew of the weapon. Their actions were also allegedly premeditated and motivated by a desire to gain notoriety. A jury in Coventry found all four of the accused guilty of the murder of Joseph Riches.

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What Happened to Joseph Riches?

Joseph Riches, a 16-year-old was out with his friends when he saw the accused in a group. He allegedly ran up to them and stabbed two of them with a screwdriver before trying to run away in a friend's car, according to Coventry Live. However, he was unable to get into the car and ran across Coventry Street as the other group members chased him.

One of the men took out a machete from under his clothes while the other three rounded up Joseph Riches into a hedge, according to the BBC. The three then attacked him with the machete as a fourth man joined them and stabbed the victim in the chest.

An injured Joseph Riches managed to get into his friend's car but he bled to death in the vehicle. His body was found in the same car, as it was abandoned four miles away from the scene of the crime. Meanwhile, the machete was found by a member of the public under a fire escape.

Simmonds was arrested on July 13, 2023, while his accomplices were arrested later on in the evening on suspicion of murder. The motive for the conflict between the two groups was still not known, police revealed.

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Details of the Attack and Sentencing

The four perpetrators, Dray Simmonds (20), Joshua Edgington (20), and two 16-year-olds, who will not be named found guilty. All four of them were sentenced to life imprisonment by a jury at Coventry Crown Court.

Simmonds and Edgington were given a term of 21 years in prison, while the two underage attackers will serve 15 years and 6 months.

During their trial, it was revealed that Edgington had filmed the video of the Joseph Riches' body in a pool of blood as the attackers kicked him. The video was allegedly which was played at a party the four went to later the night of the attack.

Judge Justice Wall said he could only conclude the reason for showing the footage of the stabbing was to "glory in it". Det Chief Inspector Laura Harrison, from West Midlands Police's homicide unit, spoke about the increased rates of knife crime.

"This is another young life lost to knife crime. Only those involved will know the reason for the attack, but no doubt it was not worth the price of a life, or the lengthy sentences that those convicted are facing." The detective added.

People believe that the sentencing of the four perpetrators was a clear message to others involved in knife crime incidents. While there has been an increase in knife crimes and stabbings in the UK, it is believed that sentences like these may see a fall in the crimes.