Jayden Moodie poses for a picture on his moped (left).
The family of Jayden Moodie who was murdered in 'cold blood' after he was rammed off his moped and stabbed have now said he had 'no affiliation with gangs' and that he was a 'lovely, caring boy'.
Jayden was rammed off a moped, then repeatedly stabbed on Tuesday 8 January in an area of east London that is said to be blighted by so-called county lines gangs that are known to exploit children.
The teenager described himself as a ‘trapper boy’ on social media – street slang for a drug courier – while it was claimed he was a known dealer and regularly carried a knife.
As the images of the murdered youngster emerged yesterday of him astride his moped and holding fistfuls of £50 and £20 notes, his family insisted he had no connection with drug gangs.
Paying tribute to the ‘loving, caring’ boy, his mother Jada Bailey said her grief was intensified by reports linking his death to violent turf wars.
Stabbing victim Jayden Moodie poses with bundles of cash and confessed to being a 'trapper boy' - slang for a drug runner - and may have been a victim of a feud between gangs, but his family said he had no affiliation with any local gangs
Police continue to investigate why Jayden was singled out in a targeted attack.
He had only moved to the capital last year for a new start away from his former home in Nottingham.
Mrs Bailey, 44, clung to the arm of her nephew Leon Green as he insisted the teenager had ‘absolutely no affiliation with gangs’ – and warned no child was safe from Britain’s knife epidemic.
Jayden's mother Jada (left with cousin Leon Green) was moved to tears as the family read a statement to the press addressing Jayden's (right) character
In a statement to reporters on Thursday 10 January, Jayden's cousin, Leon Green, said he had a keen interest in bikes, loved sports and was due to start at a boxing academy this month.
As he stood next to Jayden's crying mother, he complemented Jayden's character and said his life had been 'viciously taken away'.
'His character was infectious and anyone who met him fell in love with his charm.
Rival gangs all over London are fighting turf wars to control drugs and prostitution in their areas with Waltham Forest's among the most bloody
'He had a huge heart and would do anything for everyone, especially his family. He will be sincerely missed.
'Jayden was a 14-year-old minor who had his whole life ahead of him, which should never have been viciously taken from him.'
Addressing reports that the murder may have been gang related, Mr Green said: 'I would like to stress Jayden had recently moved from Nottingham to London and had absolutely no affiliation with gangs.'
Jayden (left) was an aspiring boxer and had met Anthony Joshua (right)
The aspiring boxer had met his hero, Britain’s world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and hoped to emulate his success.
Mr Green added: 'Focus needs to be on the fact that he has been brutally murdered in cold blood and deserves a fair chance at justice as much as anyone else in this situation.'
'If there are people in our streets that are capable of killing a 14-year-old child, then no-one is safe, and they need to be caught and brought to justice.'
Police, who believe the attack was 'targeted and intent on lethal force from the outset', have found the car thought to have been used by the three men who carried out the attack.
Police want to establish how the 14-year-old came to be riding a moped illegally, and have said they are keeping an open mind about why Jayden was attacked.
Witnesses described seeing three men armed with long kitchen knives surround the unconscious boy as he lay on the road and ‘butcher him in silence’. The Mercedes B Class was found dumped half a mile away near territory controlled by the so-called Oliver Close (OC) gang. Jayden lived close to an area run by the OC’s rivals, the Beaumont Crew. The gangs are known to exploit children, recruiting them with promises of drug-dealing cash and then threatening them with violence if they do not comply.
The family of Jayden Moodie address reporters: His cousin Leon Green (left) mother Jada (centre) and sister (right)
A girl of 14 has been slashed across the face with a knife outside a coroner’s court.
The victim, who Scotland Yard said knew her attackers, last night remained in hospital with life-changing injuries.
Three teenage girls – two aged 15 and one aged 16 – have been charged with grievous bodily harm. The knife attack took place in the car park of Barnet Coroner’s Court in north London on Tuesday evening. Two suspects were arrested at two addresses in Haringey, north London, later that night and appeared at Willesden Magistrates’ Court yesterday. One of the 15-year-olds was also charged with
