Man killed by friend after ‘batty boy’ argument over who was the least gay

A student has been found guilty of stabbing another man to death after a homophobic WhatsApp argument in which they debated who was the least gay.

Paul Akinnuoye, 20, stabbed 19-year-old Jordan Wright in the chest, neck and arms during the fight in south-east London.

Akinnuoye, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, called Wright a “batty boy,” to which he responded: “On your mum’s life, I’m straighter than you.”

They exchanged insults about each other’s sexuality in the chat group called “Ice city boyz”.

The two then arranged a fight in a chicken shop in Shooters Hill.

The court heard how Wright came unarmed to the fight in April last year, only to discover that Akinnuoye had brought a knife. The victim had written in a different group chat that he wasn’t going to bring a “shank” because it would be a “fist fight ting”. He added: “I didn’t get a shank (knife), my mum is in, she will notice the knives are gone.”

The Victim, Jordan Wright

The teenager, who was set to begin a construction apprenticeship the next week, died of his injuries on the same day.

Tony Badenoch QC, speaking for the prosecution, told the court that the “root of the dispute lay in a petty argument”. He added that CCTV footage of the meeting displays images in which “Jordan Wright is passive and standing to the back as other events unfold”.

Akinnuoye originally claimed he was not there when the stabbing happened. He gave a statement to the Metropolitan Police denying any involvement. Then he said he was present at the fight, but that another man had stabbed Wright.

He tried to dispose of his phone and cover his tracks, Badenoch said.

The jury deliberated for a day before finding him guilty of murder. He will be sentenced at a later date.