Killer took part in brutal gang war attack which left 16-year-old boy dead

A killer who took part in a savage gang attack which left a 16-year-old boy dead has been jailed for 16 years.

Alexander John Soyoye, known as John, was murdered on Bonfire Night after a feud between rival outfits spilled out onto the streets. Mohammed Al-Jaf, 21, is the latest young man to be sentenced in connection with his killing. Seven have already been handed life sentences for murder.

The murder was fuelled by a rivalry between the Moston based 'M40’ or ‘Laners’ gang, and the Rochdale and Oldham outfit Representing the Danger (RTD). The stabbing of a relative of a M40 gang member was the catalyst for a brutal revenge attack which ended with John's death hours later.

READ MORE : The men from 'Representing the Danger' gang who murdered a young man in brutal attack can now be named and pictured

Members of M40 attacked the brother of 19-year-old Francesco Raji, 19, in Piccadilly Gardens on November 5, 2020. The RTD then headed to Moston to exact revenge, with the gangs becoming embroiled in a violent melee. The M40 gang members became overwhelmed and fled.

John, who had been armed with a machete, was injured in the earlier fight and was slowed down. He became isolated and was brutally attacked, being punched, kicked and stabbed. He suffered 15 blows to his body and died at the scene.

"These killers took away my happiness, my heart and my peace," John's mother Evelyn Soyoye said in a statement previously read in court.

"I cry everyday, I think about John 24 hours a day. I don’t know if I can survive the death of John, I have never been so physically and mentally hurt. I just want to see my son, I want to hear him speak and hold his hand.

"John simply did not need to die. We can only hope that we find some solace in