Teen who stabbed boy, 16, to death in the street is pictured for first time – after leaving family ‘destroyed’ forever
A TEENAGER who stabbed a 16-year-old boy to death in a street attack can now be pictured for the first time.
L’Avian Peniston was just 14 when he killed 16-year-old Kennie Carter by stabbing him in the chest in Stretford, Greater Manchester, just over three years ago.
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The teen was found guilty in July last year for the “act of revenge” that killed Kennie.
Manchester Crown Court handed Peniston the equivalent of a life sentence, required to serve a minimum of 17 years in prison.
The boy could not be named due reporting restrictions at the time of the murder case as he was still 16.
However, as he has now turned 18, Peniston can be named for the first time.
This is despite applications to lift reporting restrictions following his conviction, which was rejected by the judge.
Young Kennie was walking home while on the phone to his older brother when Peniston – who was with a group of boys – pounced on him.
The boys had travelled three miles ‘looking for revenge’ after an argument with Kennie’s friends the day before.
Four teens reportedly travelled by tram to the block of flats they knew Kennie and his friends typically hang out.
They stole three bikes, where a witness heard them shout: “This is revenge.”
Kennie was inside the block of flats and headed home after hearing the boys were nearby, but passed by them on the road.
One of the boys in the group was heard shouting to Kennie: “You’re the one who had backed that pole innit.”
“Nah nah it weren’t me bro,” Kennie was heard to reply.
Peniston then killed the 16-year-old boy with a single stab wound to the chest, before running away from the scene with the group.
They did not give Kennie medical assistance or call an ambulance, and later abandoned the stolen bikes.
Kennie was found lying face down at 7pm after calling his brother to say: “Oh, they’ve stabbed me in the heart bro.”
Paramedics raced Kennie to Manchester Royal Infirmary but he was pronounced dead at 8.27pm on January 22, 2022.
During the sentencing last year, the judge Mr Justice Goose, said: “This was yet another killing of a young person with a knife against the backdrop of gang violence.
“Young males carrying knives in public in readiness to threaten and kill others is becoming all too common in our cities.
“The tragedy is that not only does it destroy the lives of the victims and their families, but also those who commit the offence.”
Kennie’s mum Joan said she had seen the boy “laugh and smirk” throughout a court hearing.
She said: “This shows me he had absolutely no remorse and broke my heart even more.
“No penalty or what the court can award will ever be enough in my eyes.
A heartbreaking statement was also read out on Joan’s behalf by her sister in court: “My son was chased down in the street and killed on his way home.
“At the time of his death he was just 16.
“For the last seven weeks we have had to listen to evidence of what happened to our son in graphic detail.
“How can we put into words how his death and the last two and a half years has affected us?”
“It is not just Kennie that died on 22 January 2022.
“Our whole family has been destroyed by this mindless violence.”
She added: “They have taken away our Kennie from his loving family and our lives are destroyed forever.”
Three other teens were also jailed after being found guilty of manslaughter.
Latif Ferguson, who already turned 18 but was 15 at the time, was sentenced to five years’ detention in a young offenders’ institution.
Two 16-year-olds were sentenced to four years’ detention following a lengthy trial at Manchester Crown Court.
Six other teenagers, then aged between 15 and 19, were found not guilty of charges related to Kennie’s death
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