A machete-wielding thug who 'slaughtered' a teenager in a savage attack after hunting him 'like prey' has been convicted of murder.
Cam'ron Dunn, aged 19, now faces a life sentence behind bars after killing Derlano Samuels, 17, for 'no reason whatsoever' in just a matter of minutes.
The student was simply walking across a Black Country street in the West Midlands towards his attacker when Dunn plunged the machete into his victim's body, Birmingham Live reports.
Dunn denied murder and instead said that he aced in self-defence.
However, the jury rejected his claims after deliberating for one hour and 35 minutes and convicted him of murder on March 8 following a six-day trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court. He admitted to a separate charge of having an article with a blade or a point ahead of his trial.
Footage of the 'shocking' Smethwick stabbings in Cape Hill and Waterloo Road on May 1 last year were captured on CCTV and played in court. Dunn was seen cycling along High Street while Derlano was in the area with friends.
The court was told Derlano crossed Cape Hill towards the murderer, who dropped his bike and 'immediately' reached for the blade hidden in his waistband. The defendant then ran towards 17-year-old Derlano - who was not armed - and stabbed him twice, prosecutor Michelle Heeley QC told the court.
She said: "When this defendant saw Derlano Samuels, the defendant was not in any way under attack. Derlano had done nothing more than walk towards him in broad daylight on a busy high street. The defendant couldn’t reasonably believe he was under any form of attack. Derlano Samuels had no weapon and he did nothing to warrant what was carried out on him.
"Dunn showed no mercy. Quite frankly, he slaughtered Derlano. This was not self-defence, this was an all-out attack." Derlano tried to run from his attacker and fled to nearby the Nowa Polka shop but Dunn 'pursued' him and stabbed him 'seven times in five seconds' in a back store room.
The teenager then left the Waterloo Road shop 'heavily bleeding' before he was discovered in a white Ford Focus and pronounced dead in Heath Street at 5.25pm. In her opening to jurors, Miss Heeley said: "[It] unfolded in a matter of minutes on a bright Spring day.
"The defendant left his home on his bike at 4.02pm. By 4.13pm he had stabbed Derlano Samuels. He was back home by 4.20pm. Almost every movement of the defendant was caught on CCTV. Some of what you are going to see is shocking. The entirety of the stabbing is caught on camera."
A post-mortem examination found Derlano suffered 13 stab wounds, including some defensive injuries to his hands and arms. One of the 'most serious' injuries to his chest included a 16cm wound, which went through his body, and he suffered a six centimetre gash to his lung.
The tip of the machete had also broken off and was recovered from Derlano’s skull by pathologists. A cause of death was given as stab wound to the chest.
The alleged murder weapon has never been found. Miss Heeley added: "He kept chasing him. We say he hunted him down, targeted him like prey."
Dunn will be sentenced at the court on May 13.
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