Eglington Road, Woolwich fatal stabbing: Teens convicted

DaeJaun Campbell, 15, suffered fatal stab wounds in Eglington Road following the unprovoked attack on September 22 last year. 

Metropolitan Police officers were called by witnesses to the stabbing at 6.30pm, receiving reports of DaeJaun screaming for help and being chased down with a machete. 

He died a short while later at the scene of the attack. 

Following a six-week trial at the Old Bailey, the jury returned their verdicts on July 30.

19-year-old Marko Balaz of Sewell Road, Abbey Wood, was convicted of manslaughter. 

A 17-year-old boy was convicted of DaeJaun’s murder. 

Jacob Losiewicz, 18, of Church Manorway, Abbey Wood, was acquitted of murder. 

During the investigation, detectives identified a car that had transported the defendants to the scene. 

The teens were captured on doorbell and CCTV footage leaving a property to carry out the attack. 

Losiewicz was arrested on September 23, 2024, with the distinctive top he was seen in at the time of the murder recovered from his bedroom floor.

During interviews, the 18-year-old denied any involvement in DaeJaun’s death, claiming to have been a witness who ran from the scene scared and unable to stop the incident. 

On September 25, 2024, Balaz was arrested at his home address and denied his involvement, stating he had been at home. 

He also denied any prior knowledge of DaeJaun or his murder. However, his lies were revealed thanks to an electronically monitored tag which captured his movements to Eglington Road. 

The 18-year-old was later found to have made several internet searches about the murder. 

Police arrested the 17-year-old boy on September 27, 2024, with incriminating evidence on his phone and in his home. 

Detectives discovered sliders belonging to Losiewicz that showed traces of DaeJaun’s blood on them. 

In messages, the 17-year-old admitted he was worried about spending 20 years in prison after killing someone, joking with friends that his life was “about to take a massive turn”. 

At trial he admitted to stabbing Daejaun but claimed he did so in self defence, as Daejaun also had a knife.

Following the guilty verdicts, Balaz and the youth were remanded into custody to be sentenced on October 6.

Det Chf Insp Kate Blackburn said: “Daejaun’s murder shocked the local community and will forever impact his grieving family and those who loved him.

“I commend the strength of Daejaun’s family, in particular his mother, throughout this awful ordeal. She has demonstrated exceptional courage and composure throughout this trial and has become an advocate to raise awareness of the dangers of young people carrying knives and the devastation that knife violence causes.

“We have never fully established why Daejaun was murdered in such a brutal way. I believe it is likely because he did not live in the area and had been exploited into dealing drugs there. It is possible that the defendant’s were linked to an opposing drugs line.

READ MORE: ‘Friends’ Daejaun Campbell and Kelyan Bokassa killed in machete attacks months apart

“This group were willing to bring a machete out in broad daylight and use it to kill a 15-year-old boy who, when challenged, threw his knife away and ran in the opposite direction.

“Today’s convictions conclude a lengthy and emotional investigation, and we can expect the two convicted teenagers to spend a considerable time in prison. However, they will still be able to have lives after their incarceration, Daejaun was not given that opportunity.

“I hope that the conviction today provides some sense of justice to Deajuan’s family.”