Police chief calls on parents to take responsibility for their children after ten teenagers are sentenced for the killings of two boys

A senior policeman called on parents to "take some responsibility" for their children yesterday after ten teenagers were sentenced for the killings of two boys.

Paul Erhahon, 14, was stabbed by five youths, some as young as 13, "to earn their spurs" as part of a gang initiation.

Kodjo Yenga, 16, was knifed in the heart after a gang chased him shouting "kill him, kill him" in another initiation rite.

Their deaths were among the 27 teenage murders in London last year that led to a national debate on how to tackle the shocking rise in youth violence.

Then Prime Minister Tony Blair urged black communities to speak out against gang culture.

"Some of the boys were only 13 when they committed these crimes - children, only just teenagers," Detective Superintendent Matthew Horne said yesterday.

"To their parents I would ask this: What were your kids doing? Where did you think they were at the times these boys were so brutally killed?

"All of us who are parents have to take some responsibility to ensure our children are brought up as honest and decent human beings."

Outside the Old Bailey, Kodjo's mother Ladjua Lesele called on youths to renounce violence.

"As parents we all have a collective responsibility to teach our children strong family values," she said.

Her comments were echoed by those of Paul's father, also called Paul Erhahon, who blamed youths brought up "outside the realms of a decent and law-abiding society" for his son's death.

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Paul was murdered on Good Friday last year near his home in Leytonstone, East London, after he stood up to a 17-strong gang of thugs trying to rob him.

Members of the group as young as 13 were urged on by older boys who shouted: "Go on youngers."

Many wore hoods and masks, and were armed with baseball bats, knives, swords and a bicycle chain.

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During the attack, Paul's 15-year-old friend was also stabbed and left for dead when he tried to save him.

Kodjo was ambushed last March by about a dozen youngsters, including two girls, who had armed themselves with knives, bats and even a bull terrier in Hammersmith, West London. Kodjo was left dying in his girlfriend's arms after being stabbed in the heart.

As passers-by tried to help, the gang, some of them in their school uniforms, ran away laughing.

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Judge Christopher Moss ordered that Tirrell Davis, 17, and Brandon Richmond, 14, should be detained during Her Majesty's Pleasure for the murder. He said they should serve a minimum of 15 years.

Three other youths, Kurtis Yemoh, 17, Jamel Bridgeman and Michel Williams, both 15, were given ten years for manslaughter.

It later emerged that Yemoh had been released on bail a few hours before Kodjo's death. He had been arrested for theft and intimidating a witness. Police had objected to bail.

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"You were all part of gang culture which casts its dreaful influence over our cities," said the judge.

Yesterday, also at the Old Bailey, Erhahon's killers Paul Benfield, 16, and Kevin Adu-Marcet, 15, were both given life with a minimum term of 13 years for murder.

A third boy convicted of murder, Jordan Conn, 15, was given life with a minimum term of 11 years.

Nathan Desnoes, 16, was locked up for eight years for manslaughter and Theo Diah, 19, was given a minimum term of seven years for manslaughter.