TWO men have been convicted of killing a teenager in a 'violent' Thame last year.
Nathan Braim, 20, stabbed accountant Joshua Harling on the night of July 22 last year when their rivalry came to a head in a ‘brief, but vicious’ street fight in Thame lasting one minute.
After a month-long trial at Oxford Crown Court, Braim, of Broadwaters Avenue, Thame, was found guilty of murder, carrying a weapon in a public place and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, with close friend Benjamin Eyles.
Elyes, 19, of Monks Hollow, Marlow Bottom, was also found guilty of the lesser charge, manslaughter, for his role in Mr Harling’s death.
At around 7.05pm on July 22 last year, Joshua Harling was found in an upside-down vehicle in Chinnor Road.
At first, emergency services responded to a ‘serious traffic collision’ but it was later discovered that the 19-year-old had a fatal stab wound in his chest, about 10cm deep– caused by Braim in a street fight minutes earlier.
Doctors who lived near the incident described the desperate attempts to save his life as they waited for paramedics to arrive after seeing his car ‘fly through the air’.
READ MORE: These are the faces of Joshua Harling's killers
Prosecutors had alleged that the killers had marked Mr Harling out for revenge after he was said to have threatened a member of their group at a social gathering in Elms Park on July 18.
They told a friend they planned to ‘jump him’ and were spotted in the evening searching for him while armed with 5ft metal poles.
But they had failed to find him and despite their efforts in tracking him down didn’t see him until the night he died.
On July 22, that fateful day, the best friends – who were both 19 at the time – drove to Thame in Eyles car.
Jurors have previously heard how Eyles was dealing cannabis, a class B drug.
They drove past Mr Harling’s car, a green Volkswagen Polo, more than once at around 7pm before the altercation on Cotmore Close between the trio.
During the short fight, which lasted less than a minute, Mr Harling was stabbed by Braim.
He didn’t collapse and instead ran back to his car to make an escape by driving away.
Braim ran up to his car and stamped on the back windscreen, causing it to shatter.
Mr Harling then drove away and turned into Essex Road then Chinnor Road.
He began to feel unwell and lost control of his car and crashed into some parked cars before overturning onto the roof.
A Home Office post-mortem found the cause of Mr Harling’s death to be a stab wound to the chest.
The court have previously heard how Eyles and Braim said ‘I love you’ to each other moments after they saw his car upside-down.
The murder weapon has never been found but evidence from videos on Snapchat help police prove that Braim owned a knife that was used to kill.
He later handed it over to Eyles who got rid of it.
Following an investigation by the Major Crime Unit, Braim was charged with murder on 26 July 2020 and conspiring to commit GBH with intent on 9 October. He was also charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Eyles was charged with murder and conspiring to commit GBH with intent on 29 September.
They will both reappear at Oxford Crown Court on February 26 for sentencing.
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