Three men have been convicted of the manslaughter of property developer Afyon-Saint-Hilaire, who was stabbed to death in Downham.

Dad-of-one Afyon Saint-Hilaire, 22, was attacked by a gang after he was ambushed outside McDonald's in Old Bromley Road during a botched cannabis robbery plot on July 13 last year.

The young entrepreneur was knifed during a struggle and crashed his Mercedes Coupe in Coniston Road. He bled to death as a result of the stab wound to his leg, a trial at the Old Bailey heard.

Prosecutor Dorian Lovell-Pank told the trial: "A number of young men met together for what was supposed to be a cannabis deal - but things were not quite what they seemed because some of the men had other ideas, namely to rob the dealers of their cannabis.
 
"In the course of the meeting things became violent and one of the dealers was stabbed in the lower part of his leg and one of his companions fired a shot at the others.
 
"Everyone scattered - the dealers drove off, the driver of the car was bleeding heavily from his wound and about half a mile down the road drove into a parked car and came to a stop.

Your Local Guardian:
 
"Other people attended the scene very quickly, as did the emergency services, and people tried to see to his injuries, but sadly it was too late and the man bled to death at the scene." 

Following a six-week trial, Jordache Smith-Challis, 20, from Brighton, 23-year-old Lance Sloley, from Thornton Heath, and Shyheim Green, 20, from Croydon, were all cleared of murder today (January 6) but found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob. They are due to be sentenced tomorrow (January 7).

Mickyle Bromfield, 24, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Marcus El-Alfy, 18, Vincent Close, Bromley, and Vishal Deowram, 18, from Thornton Heath, were cleared of murder.