UNTOLD: Group Chat Leads To 8 Years In Prison | Channel 4 Documentaries

Following the brutal murder of a 16-year-old on the streets of Moston, Manchester, a group of friends joined a Telegram chat - they say to grieve and vent their anger. Eighteen months later, these group chat messages formed the key evidence in a trial in which 10 teenagers were presented as a brutal gang, who listened to drill and plotted revenge. All were sentenced to a total of 131 years in prison.

One of those teens sentenced to eight years in jail – is Ade. He had been head boy at his school, was a promising sportsman and high-flying student with an offer to study law at university. His sent messages in the chat though none of those messages has ever led to an attack on anyone.

In this film Abayomi, a 22-year-old student who knew Ade, investigates how someone with a bright future, who had never been in trouble with the law, can get jailed for sending messages. He explores: the use of conspiracy law at a time where there is a lot said on social media and in app group chats; whether this sentence fits the crime and asks if race plays a part in the way that gang trials cases are built.

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[bbbbbbbbbb]

I'm black myself but this documentary tries so hard to paint a picture of complete innocence of the boys involved and I don't fully buy it. I don't think Ade deserves 8 years but he he had one foot in and one foot out. He did so much amazing stuff but he still had some form of affiliation with the streets. He dropped a whole postcode and the social workers defence was 'no one went to the address', do you know how crazy that sounds? It's not about whether they went or not, its about the INTENT behind dropping the postcode in the first place!

[advancepainters]

It is not normal black youth culture just let me correct to what was said

[jackherer]

i dont blame Ade for being upset but bro was hanging out with people who clearly were doing gang shit and he was sending out death threats
Also claiming that this is "black youth culture" to be chasing eachother down with knives and running people over is so fuckin racist its insane

[algoretex]

The bias in this documentary is astonishing. Good people don't sit in group chats passing out postcodes to killers and flexing money. At that point your fully involved.

[barryoffeastenders]

That youth worker is stretching.
A non violent chase?!? I’m guessing the guy dropped his phone and they were just trying to catch up with him to give it back? 🙄
Also, suggesting that making drill music with lyrics about gangs and postcodes etc is “normal black youth behaviour “ is straight up racist

[joblogos]

This is not black culture. This is gang culture. This is crime, full stop. They were going round committing crimes, just because they were 'friends from church' doesn't stop it being a gang or atleast violent and criminal. They're carrying knives and plotting to harm others. I was caught up in the same stuff when I was a young kid and luckily nothing like murder transpired but I could have very easily been sent down if it did and I'd only have myself to blame. I was mixing with the same kinds of kids (all different ethnicities), trying to be tough. Our communities need to take responsibility, parents need to take responsibility. Being from a poor area isn't an excuse. I've been chased like in that 'non-violent chase' by people with knives, it doesn't feel non-violent when you know if you stop you could be dead. How anyone can think the police haven't done the right thing here is beyond me. Lenient sentences will just encourage more crime. The Youth Worker is delusional too, for a start drill music isn't 'just' an art form when they're actively talking about who they're going to hurt, everything about it is about violence. Here's an idea, change the narrative, stop rapping about guns and hurting people. Stop rapping about the people from the other side you're going to kill. And one lapse in judgement isn't an excuse when someone's life it at risk. They need to start taking responsibility and stop blaming everyone else.

[prewavy]

This is why they say you are the company you keep.

[Donttouchthesnow]

The kid gave them the victims address? Why are people questioning why he got sentenced? Would you defend someone giving pedophiles the details of underage girls? No you wouldn’t 🤦‍♂️

[billmartins]

04:56 Do you hear yourself? "A non-violent chase at their college"! What were they chasing someone for? To return money they borrowed? To invite them to a party? To help them with their homework? If someone is chasing me that in itself is a violent act: they are trying to get near to me to assault me or to steal from me. There is no legitimate reason to chase someone. Chasing someone is a credible threat of violence and should be considered a crime. It's even worse this was at a school where ALL kids should be and feel safe.

[livingitup]

'This can happen to anyone in a group chat!'*

*if your friends are actively chasing people down in the street with knives and trying to kill people whilst you supply them with information

[nicolepopps]

Hearing the guy talk about how he has to act a certain way so he's not seen as a gang member is heart breaking. That must be exhausting!

[HdHd-hpqz]

I thought there was an injustice here. Na bro you gave up one of people’s postcode address in the chat that conspiring my man. Regardless if no violence happened at that address you’ve taken part in a discussion that has lead to someone ending up dead giving information to where they might be found. Any teenager could get caught out in that situation thinking its indirect but it’s conspiring as soon as a crime is committed. The uk justice system is still very prejudice towards black males giving longer sentences for the same crimes as other races. However I don’t think they got this one wrong unless we scrap the conspiracy to commit a crime out of the law book which will never happen. What this teen participated in was a conspiracy to murder.

[thetempter]

He was posting postcodes for the mandem to roll up on aswell as posting himself with grands . He was clearly moving weight and involved In crime why should I feel bad again?

[bonghittaz]

That social worker has a victim complex that needs to get rid of or she isn't going to help anyone if she is just in denial.

[darealdealuk]

He was involved with gang members. Was caught contributing in a group telegram chat (an app synonymous with dodgy activity). Dabbled in drill music, which describes violence a lot more and in more detail than hip hop or rap has ever done. His problem is that people are tired of sharing oxygen with gangs and anti-socials. By "people", I mean honest, hardworking citizens who just want to make a better life for themselves and their families without hurting anyone else. They are pitched against the perp's families, friends and sympathisers (like the Youth Worker who claimed it was a "non-violent chase" smh), because these are often damaged individuals who are against the establishment by default, and see in these situations an opportunity to show allegiance to their side, as well as channel their anger and disaffection with society.

[VeeLondon]

Roxie the youth worker saying “Non violent run..!” Meaning the person who was being chased got away. Trust, if I’m being chased by a person whom I believe has a knife/weapon. There’s nothing non violent about that.

[shaagaknowsyou]

He really did shoot his 'good character' in the backside when sending that Snapchat message about killing someone for talking nonsense about him. Everyone's a 'good boy' when they get sent down. It's death by association, choose your friends wisely or this is the result. No one to blame but himself.

[devondetroit]

“This could happen to anyone!”

No it really couldn’t..

[hellsbelles]

Also his mum said, she had moved him back up to get him away from the gang influences in London. She said she regretted that decision, because she recognised that he had simply joined a gang there. The reason he was stabbed was because of an ongoing fund between the 2 groups, and he was identified as being part of 1 gang. White gangs have also been jailed for attacks, even if they didn't actually do anything. The fact that that ridiculous woman said "they chased him but it was non violent" it was only non violent because they didn't catch him!!

[joshslosh]

The Youth Worker is delusional 😂 God help anyone that she works with because she has zero advice