Jodie Chesney murder suspect Svenson Ong-a-kwie, 18, appears in court after 17-year-old girl scout stabbed to death in an East London park

Svenson Ong-a-kwie, 18, was charged with murder almost a week after the popular 17-year-old Girl Scout was knifed on March 1.


The Surinamese national, of East London, today appeared at Barkingside Magistrates Court in a grey tracksuit.

The teen remained expressionless as he spoke only to confirm his name and address.

Sending Ong-a-kwie to the Old Bailey for trial, magistrate Garry Lucie said: "You have been charged with murder on the 1 March, murdering Jodie Chesney."

The matter will next be heard next Monday morning.

Detectives have already charged Manuel Petrovic, 20, and a 16-year-old boy over the murder of the young Explorer Scout.

Petrovic, from Romford and the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are due to be tried at the Old Bailey in September and Ong-a-kwie is likely to join them in the dock.

Another three people – a 50-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, both from Dagenham, and a 17-year-old boy who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and have all been released on bail.

Friends had battled to save the life of Jodie after she was fatally knifed and collapsed from an 18cm stab wound.

Jodie's death on March intensified the outrage over knife crime in London and locals have paid tribute to her across Romford, laying dozens of bouquets and purple ribbons.

It comes as Britain battles a knife crisis with 42 people stabbed to death across the country so far this year – including 12 in just two weeks.

On Monday night, a 19-year-old boy was seriously injured after being stabbed in the chest outside a DLR station in Lewisham, South East London.





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