A 15-year-old Putney boy has been found guilty of fatally stabbing a man last year.

The Old Bailey heard how Adesina Fashina, 18, of Hendon Lane, N3 contacted the victim, 41-year-old Mark Fontaine on May 27, 2018 to buy cannabis from him.

Mark agreed to meet Fashina in Finchley and drove there with a friend. On their arrival, Fashina and Mark to a nearby house to weigh the drugs.

Later that evening an argument occurred when it was discovered that Fashina had left his phone on the passenger seat. Shortly afterwards Fashina rang the phone and Mark answered; The court heard how Fashina asked for the phone to be returned but Mark refused.

Several more calls were made to Mark that evening, including one threatening his welfare, but Mark still refused to return the phone. This set the chain of events in motion that would lead to Mark’s death three days later.

On May 30 Mark received a call from an unknown man enquiring about buying cannabis. After arranging a price and a venue for the transaction, Mark drove to Finborough Road, SW10 to meet the buyer shortly before 10pm.

However, Mark was completely unaware that the call had been set up by Fashina who, along with Christian Murphy, 18, of Hammersmith and the 15-year-old boy, were lying in wait for him.

As Mark sat in his car he was attacked by the Putney boy and stabbed seven times.

Mark managed to stagger from his car but collapsed a short distance away in Cathcart Road.

He died less than an hour later.

Following the attack the three assailants fled the scene, but within a matter of days the trio were arrested and charged.

At the hearing on on Tuesday, March 19, both Fashina and Murphy were convicted of conspiracy to rob while being acquitted of murder.

At the same hearing the 15-year-old, whose name cannot be revealed for legal reasons, was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob.

Detective Inspector James Howarth of the Homicide and Major Crime Command said:

“The nature of this calculated, pre-meditated attack is truly shocking and vastly out of proportion to the relatively trivial event that sparked it.

“Fashina involved Murphy and a teenage associate to lure Mark to the location with the sole intention of robbing him that resulted in Mark receiving his fatal injuries.

“Mark could not survive the attack and the three fled the scene leaving a man to die in the street.

“I would like these convictions to bring some form of closure to the family who have supported the police throughout this investigation.

“Also the valiant efforts that members of the public made to help Mark following the attack should not be forgotten. Their efforts will always be appreciated and though the impact on them has been traumatic, I hope these convictions go some way to assuage that."

All three will be sentenced at the same court on a date to be confirmed.