Andre Bent (pictured), was the cousin of S-Club 7 singer Bradley McIntosh
Nine members of a grime rap star’s entourage were jailed today for their part in a brawl which ended in the killing of the cousin of an of S Club 7 star.
The defendants, aged between 20 and 29, had pleaded guilty to violent disorder and received sentences ranging from 20 months’ imprisonment to two years via video link at Reading Crown Court.
Violent scenes erupted on the streets after grime artist MoStack performed at the Gallery nightclub in Maidstone last August 25, on a warm Bank Holiday.
The brawl ended in the murder by stabbing of Andre Bent, the 21-year-old cousin of S Club 7’s Bradley McIntosh, by 17-year-old Vasilios Ofogeli.
Ofogeli of Hornsey was found guilty of murder at Maidstone Crown Court in March. He can be named after reporting restrictions were lifted. His sentencing has been adjourned to May 20.
The nine defendants sentenced today were all friends of MoStack, whose real name is Montell Daley. They had spent the night with the up-and-coming star in the VIP lounge of a nightclub, where they had been drinking, prosecutors said.
After the performance, two men got into an argument and the night descended into violence in which all nine had ‘active and persistent participation’, prosecutors said.
Vasilios Ofogeli, 17, was found guilty of murder in March. His sentencing has been adjourned to May 20 (left, bodycam footage showing his arrested at Stanstead Airport)
None of the nine who appeared in court today were accused of murder in relation to Mr Bent, who collapsed from a 21 centimetre-deep chest wound.
However, Ryan Lowe-White, Ali Aziz, Nathaniel Small, Mohamed Gelani, Darien Thompson, Yusuf Aweys, Jerral Johnson, Kaline Riley and Rheo Lawrence admitted violent disorder and appeared via video link from HMP Elmley to be sentenced.
Mrs Justice Cutts told the defendants: ‘The scene outside the nightclub was chaotic, fast moving and dangerous. The level of violence and the number of people involved was extremely frightening for those who were present.
‘Worse still, one of your number armed himself with a large knife and murdered one man, attempted to murder two others and wounded yet another with intent to cause him serious bodily harm.’
The judge said the defendants had taken part in ‘widespread and large-scale acts of violence’ in an incident which led to serious physical injury, fear and distress.
Mrs Justice Cutts said: ‘In the early hours of August 25 last year it had been a warm bank holiday evening and you went with friends from London to watch Montell Daley, a musician, perform at the Gallery nightclub in Maidstone.
‘It should have been a peaceful and enjoyable time, which it was in the time in the nightclub, but as the venue closed and a large number of people were leaving, serious violence and public disorder erupted on the streets outside.
‘A number of people, including others who were not part of your group, armed themselves. Two other knives were found after the incident. Others armed themselves with their belts which they removed from their trousers.
‘None of you was a party to those acts and I do not sentence you on the basis that you were. It can properly be said, however, that you participated in an incident which resulted in serious physical injury, fear and distress.’
The defendants had said they were not aware that Ofogeli had armed himself with a knife, the court heard, and claimed none of them had used knives.
Pictured: police cordoning off Maidstone town centre after the brawl, August 25, 2019
Ofogeli is a friend of rapper MoStack (pictured above) and was an aspiring rapper himself
Aweys told police that when he left the club he saw two of his friends having a fight ‘over a girl’ and he tried to separate them.
Prosecutors said he had said in interview that he had left the scene to get some water and when he returned ‘everyone was fighting.’
Some people had knives, Aweys told police, adding ‘they were hyping it up.’
Jennifer Knight QC, prosecuting, said: ‘All of the defendants stayed involved in this incident as it moved from one place to another and showed no inclination to leave.
‘The incident occurred in a very, very busy public area, there was a great number of members of the public there. There was a great deal of physical violence and physical force, the Crown would suggest.’
While the violence spilled out from the Gallery nightclub to Jubilee Square, the murderer, Ofogeli, who was 16 at the time, went to a car and armed himself with a hunting knife, his trial had heard.
Mr Bent’s cousin was S Club 7 singer McIntosh (pictured centre right, April 2003)
Over the course of 73 seconds, Ofogeli stabbed four men. The first was Lucas Baker, who was stabbed through the shoulder from behind.
Next Mr Conceicao was knifed three times in his back, fracturing his spine and puncturing his lung. Ofogeli then plunged the 23cm long blade into the thigh and buttock of Joshua Robinson, who was lying on the ground.
Some of those who were stabbed were assaulted by other people during the melee.
Finally Ofogeli stabbed Mr Bent, who he had earlier been seen facing while holding the knife behind his back, killing him.
Lowe-White, 22, of Boyton Close, Crouch End, London, and Aziz, 24, of no fixed address, also faced trial accused of wounding Joshua Robinson with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Both were acquitted.
Ryan Lowe-White had known MoStack, whose debut mixtape High Street Kid rose to number 16 on the UK Album Charts, for many years.
He had travelled the world with him on tour, when he was responsible for getting crowds excited before the star came on stage at performances, the court heard.
Lowe-White was jailed for 20 months.
Aweys, 20, of Holly Park Road, New Southgate, was jailed for 23 months.
Small, 22, of Boyton Road, Hornsey, was jailed for two years.
Thompson-Cox, 21, of Raleigh Road, Hornsey was jailed for 26 months.
Lawrence, 29, of Otley Way in Watford, Hertfordshire was jailed for 23 months.
Gelani, 24, of Newland Road, Hornsey, was jailed for 21 months.
Aziz, of no fixed address, was jailed for one year and 10 months.
Riley, 23, of Campsfield Road, Hornsey, was jailed for one year and nine months.
Johnson, 26, of Boyton Close, Hornsey, was jailed for two years.