A man has been sentenced following the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Cameron Hamilton in Bournemouth town centre.
Thomas Betteridge, aged 18 and of Southsea in Portsmouth, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 5 April 2024, having previously been found guilty at a trial at the same court of manslaughter and possessing a bladed article.
He was sentenced to nine years in custody, with an extended licence period of a further three years.
Lennie Hansen, aged 18 and of Waterlooville, is due to be sentenced on Friday 3 May 2024 after admitting a charge of possessing a bladed article.
The fatal incident occurred during the early hours of Saturday 5 August 2023.
Officers in the town were made aware at around 1.25am of an altercation taking place in The Square and arrived on the scene seconds after Cameron had been stabbed by Betteridge.
Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics who subsequently attended, Cameron was pronounced dead at the scene.
Betteridge and Hansen were subsequently located and arrested in the area of the Lower Gardens.
Detectives from Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) led the investigation and enquiries revealed Hansen had brought the knife with him to Bournemouth on the night of the incident and had hidden it behind a bench due to the heavy police presence in the vicinity.
After an altercation broke out in The Square involving the defendants and Cameron’s group of friends, Betteridge retrieved the knife and used it to stab his victim.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Third, of MCIT, said: “The extremely sad death of Cameron Hamilton is another shocking demonstration of the truly devastating consequences of someone choosing to carry a knife and another young man’s senseless decision to use it.
“We remain steadfastly committed to doing all we can to work with our partners and communities to raise awareness of the awful impact of knife crime and take firm action against those found to be carrying knives on our streets.
“Our thoughts will remain with the family and friends of Cameron Hamilton, who have suffered the most unimaginable loss as a result of this heinous crime, and I again want to thank them for the support they have given throughout the investigation and court process as well as the dignified way they have conducted themselves throughout what must have been an extremely difficult few months.”
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