18-year-old Charged with Murder of Jodie Chesney

Svenson Ong-a-kwie, an 18-year-old male from Romford, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court after being arrested on suspicion of the murder of Jodie Chesney on 10^th March.

Ong-a-kwie is the third person, following 20-year-old Manuel Petrovic and a 16-year-old boy (unnamed for legal purposes), who has been charged with Chesney’s murder.

Petrovic, from Romford, was arrested in Leicester on 5^th March. He appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 9^th March and the Old Bailey on 11^th March, according to the Metropolitan Police. Petrovic’s murder trial will be held on 2^nd September.

The 16-year-old boy from Romford was arrested in London on 8^th March. He, too, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 11^th March and the Old Bailey on 12 March, according to the Met Police.

A 50-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman, and a 17-year-old boy had also been arrested on 10^th March on suspicion of helping an offender but have been released on bail under scrutinisation.

Chesney was stabbed to death at a park in Harold Hill, east London while socialising with friends on 1^st March. The knife was found seven inches deep into her back.

“I’ve been on the murder command for about 15 years…this is one of the worst I’ve come across…it’s a 17-year-old-girl who has done absolutely nothing…normally there is a reason,” DCI Dave Whellams said.

“It’s taken off in the last two or three years to a different level. The ferocity we are experiencing now is really unprecedented and the frequency that it’s coming in at,” Whellams continued.

There seems to be a rise in knife crime in London since 2011, according to BBC News.

It is increasingly more crucial to become aware of your surroundings and protect those around you. Our sometimes frightening and dangerous world needs more compassion and solidarity.

Do not hesitate to call the police if someone looks suspicious.

Photo by Manuel Inglez on Unsplash.