Teen guilty of knife murder after two confrontations

A teenager who got a friend to buy two "hunting-style" knives from a website when he was 17 has been convicted of murder.

Jacob Zuco, now 18, of Kimble Drive, Bedford, has been found guilty of killing Leon Penman, 20, in the town in May.

The jury at Luton Crown Court also found Zuco guilty of wounding Mr Penman, who was also from Bedford, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following a previous incident in March 2024.

Zuco had stabbed Mr Penman with knives bought from a website called "knifewarehouse.com", jurors heard.

Zuco, who will turn 19 on 19 April, had denied murder and wounding but admitted unlawfully possessing a bladed article.

He told the trial he had twice acted in self-defence, after becoming involved in a dispute over a jacket with Mr Penman, and had not meant to kill or cause serious harm.

Judge Michael Simon remanded Zuco in custody and said he would pass sentence on 18 June.

Zuco, who had worked as a labourer, told jurors he decided to start carrying a knife after being "robbed" in December 2023.

He said he now accepted that carrying a knife was "wrong" and "stupid", but he said he been been "scared".

Zuco told the trial he asked a friend to buy him a knife from a website called knifewarehouse.com, costing £50.

"I got someone to order it for me," he told jurors.

"I was meant to be 18 or older, but I was not 18 at the time."

Zuco said he had thrown the first knife away after a "tussle" with Mr Penman in March 2024 and claimed Mr Penman had pulled out a knife and tried to strike him.

Mr Penman had lost the use of his left arm in that earlier incident, the trial heard.

Zuco said the dispute centred on a jacket he was selling to Mr Penman.

He said his friend then ordered another £50 knife from the same website.

Lawyers told jurors Mr Penman had died in May after being stabbed with a "hunting-style knife" which had a "serrated edge" and a 25cm (10in) blade.

Zuco said his first knife had been "similar" but did not have a serrated edge.

Jurors heard Mr Penman had been in a car when he was stabbed near the armpit through an open window in the May confrontation on Riverfield Drive.

He claimed Mr Penman had punched him, and "run me over" with the car.

Zuco said he thought Mr Penman was "going to kill me".

Jurors heard Zuco was of "previous good character".

Zuco told jurors that he sold "weed" to friends - and had also sold "magic mushrooms".

Lawyers told jurors that Mr Penman had convictions relating to drug use and violence.

The jury was told that, at the time he died, Mr Penman had been been serving a two-year suspended prison sentence after being convicted, in January 2024, of offering to supply cocaine.

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