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00:00Happy birthday to you!
00:05Yay!
00:08James was just full of life.
00:10He didn't like seeing people in vulnerable situations.
00:14He was a protector.
00:16This goes from really unpleasant antisocial behaviour to another level.
00:24He didn't just stab James once, not twice, four times.
00:30In nine seconds.
00:34There is somebody out there who has committed the most serious of crimes.
00:37If we don't find them soon, could they do it again?
00:40There was a Snapchat story, which is titled,
00:44I've just killed a man and I'll do it again.
00:50When you first embark on a murder investigation and you find out
00:53it's technically a child that's responsible, it's always a surprise.
01:00Happy birthday to you!
01:05Happy birthday to you!
01:06Happy birthday to you!
01:15Yay!
01:16It's the 2nd of May 2021, and James Gibbons and his fiancée Victoria are enjoying their
01:35twin daughter's birthday.
01:40We woke up very excited and happy, celebrating that the twins were turning two.
01:46We had the barbecue, we had cake and everything.
01:49Everyone was enjoying the day, we had a lot of fun together that afternoon.
02:02James was just full of life.
02:04He just enjoyed everything that he'd done, and spending time with him was really fun.
02:08He had a good sense of humour, a wicked sense of humour.
02:18When James met Vicky, we knew that that was something special.
02:22They adored each other, loved each other, and they were just a perfect couple.
02:35First child come along on Christmas Day.
02:38Just remember James saying, I've got a child from God born on Christmas Day, I'm blessed.
02:43And then along came the second child.
02:53James had always wanted twins, and had always joked about having twins.
02:57He wanted twin boys, he got twin girls.
02:59It is a big family.
03:01We enjoyed having four children, we enjoyed family life.
03:05As a dad, he loved it.
03:06He would be up in the night, feeds, and doing everything.
03:09He loved being a dad.
03:23In the weeks prior to his twin daughter's birthday,
03:26James, Victoria, and their four children were looking at moving house.
03:32He dreamed big, and he was very ambitious.
03:35And he worked really hard.
03:37He did work all day, every day, if he could.
03:42He was a good plumber.
03:44He was going to be taking over this company.
03:46I know that he'd spoken to the accountant.
03:49She was getting all the accounts ready for him to apply for a mortgage.
03:53He wanted a good future for his children,
03:55and I think he wanted to be proud of himself,
03:58that he'd achieved this, and provided.
04:00Whilst the couple were hoping to buy a family home in the near future,
04:12in May 2021,
04:14James and his family were living on the Five Links estate in Langdon, Essex.
04:18The estate was known as Alcatraz,
04:22because it was just synonymous with crime.
04:26There's no roads that go through.
04:28They're all in little squares.
04:30It's a rat run.
04:32There was always trouble of some sort.
04:36It's a housing estate.
04:37There's kids that hang around on the housing estate.
04:41It's a series of walkthroughs as opposed to roads.
04:43It wasn't uncommon for children just to be hanging around on the estate.
04:52Locals would often post online,
04:54alerting residents to troubling behaviour in the area.
04:58It could be so lovely, you know, little squares, you can imagine that.
05:02And to be honest, where James and Vicky were,
05:05all the neighbours got on.
05:08We had no issues.
05:10We would have street parties.
05:11The kids would all play with each other.
05:17I didn't feel unsafe living there.
05:19It was just that we didn't own the house.
05:23I've never known James to say,
05:26I don't want to live here anymore.
05:27The main reason was to be in a nicer area,
05:30and he didn't want to rent anymore.
05:32The night before the girl's birthday,
05:42there was a homeless man staying under the stairs of the flat.
05:48We'd given him some blankets,
05:50and we'd washed his sleeping bag for him.
05:54Vicky said, well, there's a homeless man there.
05:56And James had been helping him out,
05:58you know, giving him cups of coffee or tea in the flask.
06:02We went to bed,
06:05and then the next day we got up, he was still there.
06:08James would always stop and talk to people.
06:13He always cared,
06:14didn't like seeing people in vulnerable situations.
06:17We were having a little barbecue in the garden,
06:28and just some very close family were attending.
06:33In 2021, James' mum, Wendy, was living in Spain,
06:37and was unable to travel to the UK due to COVID restrictions.
06:41Ordinarily, I would have been there, absolutely.
06:45But because we're still in the last throes of the lockdown,
06:48there were no flights and there were no ferries to England,
06:51so we couldn't get over.
06:54But sometime in that morning,
06:56I did a FaceTime just to see them in their outfits.
07:00They were very, very happy.
07:02Whilst James is celebrating his daughter's birthday,
07:22children from the local area start harassing the homeless man outside James' house.
07:28James had taken some food out to the homeless man to give to him,
07:30and it was at this point where two of the group had started harassing this male
07:35and trying to take the food off of him.
07:37So James had had a verbal confrontation with these two,
07:41telling them not to bully this homeless male,
07:43and then had sent them away.
07:45I think it was just two, yous initially,
07:48who'd been picking on him, throwing stones.
07:56James had said that there were some teenagers,
07:58but that was, he hadn't, he hadn't said that there was any arguments
08:02or discussions or anything,
08:04so we didn't know anything else.
08:08After this brief confrontation,
08:11James returned to the barbecue to enjoy the celebrations.
08:14Happy birthday to you.
08:18Happy birthday.
08:20My sister's normally the family photographer,
08:22and she'd record here just singing Happy Birthday.
08:24Happy birthday to you.
08:28You've got a blow.
08:28Blow.
08:29Blow it.
08:30Blow it.
08:31Blow it.
08:32Blow it.
08:32Blow it.
08:37As the party continues into the evening,
08:42outside the house,
08:45the youths return and launch a violent attack
08:48on the homeless man.
08:59These group are youths that were abusing the homeless man,
09:03throwing bricks,
09:04taking the food,
09:06making fun of a vulnerable person.
09:08It was evening.
09:16The twins,
09:16I took them up to bed,
09:18and James said he was going out
09:19to have one last cigarette with this man.
09:22And then I said to him,
09:23could you come in then after that?
09:27James said he was going to go out
09:28for one last cigarette
09:29to check on the homeless male,
09:31and when he went out there,
09:32he was then confronted by a group of
09:34eight or nine youths that had come back.
09:36James wants to get them away
09:53from the homeless man
09:54and ends up on his own
09:58with this group of yogs.
10:01Among those recently drawn into the confrontation
10:04is a 16-year-old boy
10:06who lives nearby.
10:09We believe that there was a house
10:11on the estate that was unused
10:12and he went to that address
10:14on the night of the incident
10:14and retrieved a knife.
10:17father of four,
10:29James Gibbons,
10:30has come to the aid
10:31of a homeless man outside his house
10:33who's being assaulted
10:34by a gang of youths.
10:38That told what character
10:39James was.
10:41He was helping someone
10:48like he so often would.
10:50He was a protector.
10:55James' protective personality
10:57had developed from an early age.
11:00James had a younger sibling
11:02called Ashley.
11:04Ashley was born with epilepsy.
11:09He was having up to 20 seizures a day.
11:14If Ashley was ever picked upon,
11:17James would stick up and protect him.
11:21So that's where the protectiveness,
11:24I think, stemmed.
11:26They were very close.
11:28As close as two of us could get, really.
11:30In 2015,
11:34Ashley's seizures were happening
11:35nocturnally.
11:38And in May of 2015,
11:41he just didn't wake up one morning.
11:44Called James and I said,
11:46Ashley's gone.
11:47And I can still hear James.
11:50Still hear it.
11:51He just welled.
11:57I'd now like to take a moment
11:58to remember our loved ones
12:00who couldn't be with us today
12:01and raise a glass in their memory.
12:04James was never quite the same
12:05after Ashley died.
12:08It hurt him a lot.
12:09On the evening of the 2nd of May, 2021,
12:19James becomes involved in a scuffle
12:20with a group of teenagers
12:21who've been picking on a local homeless man.
12:24As things come to a head,
12:26James is confronted by a 16-year-old
12:28who's armed with a knife.
12:30He made the decision to go off,
12:32recover a knife that he'd had
12:33hidden on the estate,
12:35and he returned.
12:36And at some point during him lashing out
12:40must have been
12:41when the injuries were caused to James.
12:44James was subject to four stab wounds,
12:47two in the front of his abdomen
12:48and two to the right side.
13:01After being stabbed multiple times,
13:03James stumbles the short distance
13:06back to his front door
13:07before collapsing.
13:15The children were in bed.
13:20The homeless man banged on the door
13:21and said something had happened to James.
13:24James was laying on the floor.
13:25He passed out just to the right of the front door.
13:27It was right next to our home.
13:28It was quick.
13:32Everything was very fast.
13:34We made a 999 call.
13:39They asked us to start CPR.
13:41Then one of the neighbours was there.
13:42He's a rugby coach.
13:43And he asked if I wanted him to do CPR,
13:46because obviously he's trained in first aid.
13:48So he started CPR.
13:49The ambulance and Essex police rushed to the scene.
14:07The first 999 call came in
14:09around half past nine in the evening.
14:11You're always ready for that call.
14:16Obviously you never want it to happen
14:19because there's been a tragedy.
14:22We have what is called the golden hour principle.
14:25It's a period of time
14:26after which a crime has been committed
14:28where evidence is in its abundance.
14:31It's really important to identify
14:33any suspects and any apparent witnesses.
14:35By the time I arrived,
14:39the information that we were getting
14:40was that James had been involved
14:42in an altercation with some youths
14:44and during that altercation
14:45he had been stabbed.
14:48Police arrived first
14:49and then the ambulance arrived
14:51and then we was asked to go into the house.
14:56So we didn't see him being worked on.
14:58One of the four wounds that he received
15:05caused internal bleeding
15:07that would have killed him in minutes.
15:13We had the machine stop.
15:17Which I obviously know that wouldn't stop
15:18unless they'd stopped trying
15:19or they'd got a heartbeat.
15:24He didn't go to hospital.
15:25He died at the scene.
15:28This is a housing estate where families live,
15:46there's children around
15:47and then all of a sudden
15:50there's a murder on your doorstep.
15:52It just does not make sense whatsoever.
15:55I went into shock
15:57and just...
15:59Happy birthday to you!
16:03The biggest thing I kept thinking was
16:05I'm not going to be able to tell the children
16:06and I don't know how to tell Wendy.
16:09So, because she'd already lost one son.
16:17Unable to make the call herself,
16:20Victoria gets someone else
16:21to break the bad news
16:22to James' mum, Wendy.
16:23My phone rang
16:27and it was my ex-husband
16:29and I thought that's strange,
16:34you know, that time of night.
16:38He said,
16:40Wendy, James has been stabbed.
16:42He passed away about half an hour ago.
16:45I dropped the phone.
16:53I couldn't comprehend it.
16:55None of it made sense.
16:57This is like lightning striking twice.
17:02I can't believe any of us
17:03have gone through any of this.
17:05In my head,
17:05it didn't...
17:06It didn't tally up in my head
17:08that this is what happened.
17:14With Ashley,
17:16he had the illness.
17:18It was Hepaletsi.
17:19He didn't wake up.
17:20And I said,
17:28I can't accept James.
17:34And I never will.
17:40Essex police were now
17:42starting a murder investigation.
17:44The primary thought
17:46that goes through your mind
17:46is we need to find out
17:47who's done this.
17:48There is somebody out there
17:49who has committed
17:50the most serious of crimes.
17:51If we don't find them soon,
17:53could they do it again?
17:59But as inquiries commence,
18:02one of the teenage boys
18:03involved in the attack on James
18:04starts a Snapchat group conversation
18:07with friends.
18:08We were able to see
18:12those within the group
18:13starting to talk
18:14about what's happened.
18:17And they're all asking
18:19of his involvement.
18:22A number of the youths
18:23were part of a Snapchat group
18:25where they would exchange messages.
18:29The Snapchat group
18:31even attempts to offer advice
18:32to the offender.
18:35There was lots of discussion
18:37about what had happened
18:38and the fact
18:38that there'd been a stabbing,
18:40the police were all around.
18:49Meanwhile,
18:50the police's first steps
18:51involved gathering
18:52local witness statements.
18:55Neighbours were talking
18:56to officers at the scene
18:57and identifying children
18:59that had been there
19:00when the murder took place.
19:04There was a general
19:06disbelief from the local residents
19:09that that could happen
19:10on the estate.
19:11Many housing estates
19:12have children running around
19:13causing low-level
19:14antisocial behaviour
19:15but I don't think anybody
19:16expects for someone
19:18to be stabbed
19:18and die on their doorstep.
19:22A number of uniformed officers
19:24were given a name
19:25of a young boy
19:26so from there
19:27we were able to then
19:28move on to do
19:29some intelligence checks
19:30and try and establish
19:31who that young lad was.
19:34And as a result,
19:35uniformed officers
19:36go to his address
19:37and he was arrested
19:40in the middle of the night.
19:41The arrest of this teenage boy
19:46led to further arrests
19:47of members of the group
19:48that initially assaulted James.
19:51From the neighbours
19:52at the scene,
19:53we were aware
19:53that the group
19:54was made up
19:55of a number of males
19:56and females.
19:58Two girls were able
19:59to identify their attendance
20:00at the scene.
20:01They were also arrested.
20:04With three teenagers
20:05in custody,
20:06police soon identify
20:07a prime suspect.
20:09Her disclosures made
20:11that Joshua Sparks
20:12was at the scene.
20:17As a result,
20:18officers go to
20:19Joshua's address
20:20and he is arrested.
20:23The police were brilliant.
20:26They kept us updated
20:26and they came to us
20:28quite a lot.
20:29They were really supportive.
20:31To be told there's a murder
20:33and then to have
20:34four juveniles
20:36all in custody.
20:36Within less than eight hours,
20:41it's a very fortunate situation
20:42to be in for us.
20:49As Essex police
20:50continue their interviews,
20:52social media activity
20:53around the case
20:53intensifies.
20:56It blew up quick.
20:58My phone was just going off.
21:00There were a lot of people
21:01messaging on Facebook
21:02to us,
21:03telling us all sorts of things.
21:04We didn't know
21:05what was true
21:06and what wasn't.
21:08So many people
21:09that were talking,
21:10oh, you know about
21:11the guy that got killed?
21:12It was so-and-so
21:13that did it.
21:14You couldn't manage it.
21:15So I just shut it down
21:17and just shut down
21:18social media.
21:19It's detrimental.
21:21You don't need,
21:22well, it may be this
21:23or we were told this.
21:26Until we got hard evidence,
21:27I just didn't want
21:28to be told anything, really.
21:29Back at Basildon Police Station,
21:37detectives seek to identify
21:39which of the youths
21:40they have in custody
21:40was responsible
21:41for murdering James.
21:46It was key
21:47that we had to interview
21:48these youths
21:48as soon as possible.
21:50We were aware
21:51that there was
21:51a weapon outstanding.
21:52We would want to try
21:53and recover that weapon.
21:54The first interview
21:55would have been
21:56a free-flowing,
21:57what happened,
21:57why were you there?
21:58Mostly open questions.
22:00In his first interview,
22:02Joshua gave a very vague account
22:04of he'd been on the estate
22:06hanging out with friends
22:08but wouldn't say
22:09who those friends were,
22:11whereabouts exactly he was
22:12and he maintained
22:13that he returned home
22:15shortly after it got dark.
22:17He was nonchalant
22:20in interview.
22:21He didn't come across
22:23as animated
22:24or overly bothered
22:25and answered no comment
22:27to questions
22:27that were uncomfortable
22:28or challenging.
22:34He doesn't seem scared
22:36at all.
22:37He seems to take it
22:37all in his stride
22:38which, for a 16-year-old,
22:41is, I think,
22:43quite unusual.
22:45But whilst Joshua Sparks
22:47attempts to appear laid back,
22:49the other members
22:50of the group
22:51are providing police
22:51with significant statements
22:53that implicate him
22:54in James' murder.
22:55We had the other three
22:57juveniles in custody
22:58who had said
22:59they weren't necessarily
23:00involved in the stabbing.
23:02We had two interview pairs.
23:03so whilst one pair
23:05would interview Joshua,
23:07another pair
23:08would interview
23:09the children
23:10that were probably
23:10more likely to talk to us.
23:11The other teenagers
23:14that were interviewed
23:15were fairly forthcoming
23:17with the incident
23:19and what happened
23:20and it became clear
23:22and it became clear
23:22reasonably quickly
23:24who was responsible.
23:28They were significant witnesses
23:29because they'd been there
23:31and they were living
23:32and breathing
23:32the incident
23:34and I'm sure
23:35a good chunk of them
23:37would have sinned,
23:38actually physically sinned it.
23:39We wanted to bring them
23:40onside
23:41and get their trust
23:42and try and get them
23:43to give us
23:45a witness account.
23:47The juveniles told us
23:48that Joshua's there
23:50and Joshua's involved
23:50in the stabbing.
24:00Joshua Sparks
24:01is now the prime suspect
24:02in the murder
24:03of James Gibbons.
24:04The next day
24:08we set up
24:09the ID parade
24:10that was carried out
24:11by the homeless male
24:12who had picked Joshua out
24:14as being one of the males
24:15at the scene
24:15which would ultimately
24:18strengthen our case
24:19against Joshua.
24:21Despite the eyewitness accounts
24:23Joshua continues
24:24to deny attacking James
24:26prompting police
24:27to turn to digital forensics
24:29for further evidence.
24:30At the time
24:31of the search
24:32of Joshua's house
24:34we were able
24:35to recover
24:35his mobile phone
24:37and that was subject
24:39of a full download.
24:42We saw that
24:43at 12.50
24:44Joshua makes a call
24:45to his girlfriend
24:46that's some
24:47in excess
24:48of 40 minutes long
24:49and we were able
24:51to get an understanding
24:51from talking to girlfriend
24:52that he was upset.
24:55We know that he'd said
24:56someone had been stabbed
24:57and that he was
24:59he was involved.
25:00There was another phone call
25:03he made
25:04which was overheard
25:06by another one
25:06of our youth witnesses
25:07at which point
25:08he laughed
25:10as he said
25:10he'd chinged someone
25:1125 times.
25:13Chinged being a reference
25:14to stabbing somebody.
25:17Shortly after
25:18the stabbing took place
25:19Josh googled
25:20can I go to prison
25:22for accidentally
25:22killing somebody
25:23he googled
25:24murder in Basildon
25:26that already shows
25:27that he had
25:28a guilty knowledge
25:29that he was
25:30directly involved.
25:33When examining
25:34Joshua's social media
25:35activity
25:36immediately following
25:37the murder
25:37investigators uncover
25:39yet more significant
25:40evidence.
25:42One of the biggest
25:43breakthroughs in the case
25:45certainly came from
25:45the mobile phone
25:46side of things.
25:47There was a Snapchat
25:49story
25:50that Joshua
25:51creates
25:53which is titled
25:54I've just killed
25:55a man
25:56and I'll do it again.
26:0916 year old
26:10Joshua Sparks
26:11denies any role
26:13in the murder
26:13of James Gibbons.
26:15However
26:16police have uncovered
26:17significant social media
26:19posts made by Sparks
26:20in the hours
26:21after the fatal attack.
26:25After the incident
26:26Josh created
26:27a Snapchat story
26:28saying that
26:28I've just killed
26:29someone
26:29and I will do it again.
26:35And then we see
26:35the subsequent chat
26:36underneath
26:37where Joshua
26:38admits to
26:40M-ing
26:41the letter M
26:42a man
26:43which we now know
26:44to M
26:45to mean murder.
26:46and within the chat
26:50Josh says
26:51I
26:51it comes across
26:52as ducked up
26:53but we know
26:54that should be
26:54the phrase
26:55beginning with F.
27:00It's
27:01unbelievable.
27:03Unbelievable.
27:05What mentality
27:06have they got?
27:08it's
27:10it's
27:10it's
27:11there's just
27:12no words.
27:14And then we see
27:15the subsequent chat
27:16of all those
27:17within the group
27:18that think
27:19it's
27:20not true
27:21they're all
27:22asking
27:22Joshua
27:24of his involvement
27:25which he confirms.
27:27We're also able
27:28to see
27:29that Josh
27:30says
27:30I'm a psychopath.
27:31he's described
27:34himself as a psychopath.
27:35He saw this
27:36as an opportunity
27:37to integrate
27:38this element
27:39into his social identity
27:40of someone
27:41to be feared
27:42to be respected
27:43that could assert dominance
27:45rather than
27:45the awareness
27:46of the gravity
27:47of what he had done
27:48and the seriousness
27:49of his situation.
27:49One of his friends
28:02told him
28:03that his life
28:03was over
28:03to which his reply
28:05was
28:06I know
28:07I might as well
28:07go and kill
28:07everybody else
28:08I don't like.
28:10We had
28:10what we believe
28:11is tantamount
28:11to confessions
28:12by Josh
28:13from
28:14mobile phone evidence.
28:19For us
28:21as the family
28:22it's hurtful
28:23but they can't
28:24hurt us anymore
28:25because
28:25they've taken
28:26James away
28:27from us.
28:35As the investigation
28:37gains momentum
28:38police search
28:39Joshua's home
28:40for physical evidence
28:41to support claims
28:42made in his
28:43social media messages.
28:46The plan around it
28:47was to lock down
28:49his house
28:49so it could
28:50then be searched
28:51forensically
28:51hoping that
28:52we would recover
28:53the knife.
28:55From the search
28:56of Josh's address
28:57we were able
28:57to recover
28:58some clothing
28:59which we believed
29:00he was wearing
29:00at the time
29:01but we never
29:01recovered the knife.
29:05I remember
29:05Gav saying
29:06we haven't got
29:06the knife
29:07which was
29:08really disappointing.
29:10We'd interviewed
29:10many times
29:11about what happened
29:12he refused to tell us.
29:14We made
29:15other inquiries
29:16after that
29:17with families
29:18to where the knife
29:19may have gone
29:19and we were never
29:21able to establish
29:21where it went.
29:24Despite
29:25eyewitness testimony
29:26and Joshua Sparks
29:28incriminating
29:28social media posts
29:30the absence
29:31of a murder weapon
29:32means police
29:33must continue
29:33to gather evidence
29:35in order to charge him.
29:36Time is off
29:37the essence
29:37so I'm already
29:38starting to think
29:39what can I use
29:40to help me solve this
29:42and get justice
29:43for James's family.
29:47And it was very clear
29:48what was going to solve
29:49this investigation
29:50was CCTV.
29:54It was deemed
29:55necessary to do
29:55some quick time
29:56house to house
29:56inquiries
29:57to check the CCTV
29:58and doorbell footage.
30:01The local residents
30:02I think were
30:02as equally appalled
30:03as we were
30:04by what had happened
30:04and they were
30:05very amenable
30:05for us to come
30:06into their houses
30:07and actually start
30:08downloading their CCTV
30:09so it could be used
30:10to progress the investigation.
30:11We were able
30:16very quickly
30:17to start to understand
30:18what happened.
30:21The initial altercation
30:22of the juveniles
30:23where James
30:25tells them to go away
30:26Joshua was in
30:29that group.
30:31As James
30:32approaches
30:32an arm comes out
30:34grabs hold of him
30:35and then they both
30:36move further
30:37into the alleyway.
30:41The argument
30:42that happens
30:43which unfortunately
30:44isn't covered
30:45with CCTV.
30:47Within nine seconds
30:48we were able
30:49to show Josh
30:50running back out
30:51of the alleyway
30:52through the estate.
30:55It was evident
30:56that only one person
30:58could have
30:59stabbed James
31:00and all the evidence
31:01was pointing
31:01towards Joshua.
31:02we put to him
31:06the CCTV.
31:10All of those
31:10subsequent interviews
31:11Josh refused
31:12to answer any questions
31:13which I think
31:14was telling
31:15for the fact
31:15that he knew
31:16the evidence
31:16was stacking up
31:17against him
31:17and he knew
31:18it was best
31:19to say nothing
31:19rather than
31:20get caught out
31:21in a lie.
31:24The other youth
31:25they obviously
31:26named him
31:27we had the CCTV
31:28at the scene
31:30and we also
31:31had the
31:32positive ID
31:33parade
31:33of the homeless
31:34mayor
31:34who identified
31:35Joshua Sparks
31:35as being
31:36at the scene.
31:39I was really
31:40confident
31:40that we had
31:41the right person
31:43and we were
31:45not looking
31:45for anyone else.
31:47Hence he was
31:47charged with
31:48the murder
31:48of James Gibbons.
31:50I was there
31:51when he was
31:51charged with
31:53murder
31:53and no reaction.
32:00Joshua treated
32:02his charge
32:03like he treated
32:04his interviews.
32:05He was very
32:05relaxed and
32:07just took it
32:08all in his
32:09stride.
32:14We knew now
32:15that the police
32:15said that they
32:16have someone
32:16in custody
32:17and it was
32:20a 16-year-old
32:21that killed
32:23my son.
32:24It's beyond
32:25belief.
32:26What is
32:27happening
32:27in this world?
32:30When you
32:31embark on a
32:31murder investigation
32:32then you find
32:33out it's
32:33technically a
32:33child that's
32:34responsible.
32:35It's always
32:35a surprise
32:36but unfortunately
32:37it's not a
32:38rarity anymore.
32:39It is becoming
32:39more and more
32:40prevalent.
32:41Joshua was
32:42remanded into
32:43youth custody.
32:45The challenge
32:45for us is the
32:46short court
32:48timelines that
32:49are given for
32:49a juvenile held
32:51in detention.
32:52So we were
32:53significantly
32:54tight on time
32:56to collect all
32:57of our evidence.
32:59The pressure
32:59was on us
33:00to get
33:01trial ready.
33:03We were
33:04holding on
33:05to that
33:06like for
33:07life because
33:08we wanted
33:09justice done.
33:12Five months
33:13after James'
33:14death the
33:15trial of
33:16Joshua Sparks
33:16began at
33:17Chelmsford Crown
33:18Court.
33:21Joshua pleads
33:22not guilty
33:22to murder
33:23on the grounds
33:24of self-defense.
33:25When people
33:30are charged
33:30with murder
33:31very rarely
33:32will they
33:32ever admit
33:32it.
33:33Their only
33:33chance is to
33:34go down the
33:35lines of
33:35self-defense
33:35to try and
33:36suggest that
33:36they were
33:37provoked into
33:38their actions
33:38and they had
33:38to do it for
33:39their own
33:39self-preservation.
33:41Joshua's legal
33:42team based
33:43their defense
33:43on claims that
33:44James was
33:44carrying a
33:45weapon when
33:45he confronted
33:46the youths.
33:47They focused
33:50heavily on
33:51James being
33:51armed at
33:52the time and
33:53that's why
33:54Joshua had to
33:55go and find
33:55a knife.
33:57They were
33:58saying that
33:58James had a
33:59weapon and
34:00that he was
34:01using it.
34:02It was just
34:03you know oh
34:04we think it
34:04was a hammer
34:05we think it
34:06was a wooden
34:06pole.
34:08Before the
34:08stabbing took
34:09place a
34:10neighbor did
34:11give the
34:11homeless male
34:12a piece of
34:13wood akin
34:14to a broom
34:15handle so he
34:16could protect
34:16himself because
34:17he was being
34:18harassed by
34:18these youths and
34:20then the defense
34:20he's claiming
34:21James in
34:21possession of
34:22that stick and
34:23when he went
34:24out there he
34:24confronted the
34:25youths.
34:26It's kind of
34:27like we were
34:30the ones on
34:30trial because
34:31we had to
34:31prove our
34:32points.
34:34It's hard when
34:35you've lost
34:35your son but
34:36it's like he's
34:37being made the
34:38one that's the
34:39guilty one.
34:41It's very
34:42hard.
34:45Defendants
34:46don't always
34:47take the
34:48stand.
34:49However if
34:50his defense
34:51was going to
34:52stand as
34:52self-defense
34:53he would
34:54have to.
34:56Joshua came
34:57across as
34:57very meek
34:58and very
34:59quietly spoken
35:00and he said
35:01he protected
35:01the children
35:02so the image
35:03that he
35:04portrayed in
35:04the box
35:05was very
35:06different to
35:07the cocky
35:07Joshua that
35:08was at the
35:09scene and
35:10how he spoke
35:11on the
35:11snapchat
35:11after the
35:12incident.
35:16Joshua said
35:17he was worried
35:17about the
35:18threat James
35:19posted to his
35:20friends so he
35:21made the
35:21decision to
35:22go off
35:22recover a
35:23knife that
35:24he'd had
35:24hidden on
35:25the estate
35:25and he
35:26returned only
35:27with the
35:28intention of
35:28using it to
35:29intimidate
35:29James.
35:31We obviously
35:32heard the
35:33defense side.
35:35Rationally you
35:36know that
35:37they've got to
35:37do a job
35:38but then
35:38emotionally
35:39you're very
35:41protective over
35:42the person
35:43that you've
35:43lost
35:43especially
35:46because they
35:46haven't done
35:47anything.
35:51The defense
35:52team obviously
35:53are there to
35:55get the
35:55perpetrator
35:56off so
35:57they're going
35:58to put
35:58everything in
35:59to get
36:00the 16
36:01year old
36:01youth off.
36:03To try and
36:04convict somebody
36:05there has to
36:05be no reasonable
36:06doubt
36:06that was
36:07what was
36:08worrying
36:08because all
36:09you needed
36:09was one
36:09little bit
36:10of doubt.
36:18It's October
36:192021 and
36:21Joshua Sparks
36:22is standing
36:22trial for the
36:23murder of
36:23James Gibbons.
36:27He went
36:28not guilty.
36:29Joshua's
36:30defense team
36:30focused heavily
36:32on the fact
36:32that James
36:33was armed
36:33at the time
36:34and that's
36:35why Joshua
36:36had to go
36:37and find
36:37a knife.
36:39The defense
36:40team when
36:41they were
36:42doing their
36:42case there
36:43were times
36:44we'd think
36:44we're not
36:45going to get
36:45him but he's
36:46not going to
36:47go down for
36:47this.
36:49With a murder
36:50verdict at stake
36:51the prosecution
36:52hits back at
36:53claims James
36:54was armed with
36:54a wooden stick
36:55in the lead up
36:56to the attack.
36:57what the
36:59CCTV was able
37:00to show
37:00was at no
37:01point was
37:02James in
37:03possession of
37:03that stick
37:04and at the
37:05time where
37:06James was
37:07grabbed by
37:08Joshua in the
37:09alleyway he
37:10was completely
37:10unarmed.
37:11All James was
37:12doing was
37:13raising his
37:14hands like
37:15this to say
37:16go away
37:16leave him
37:17alone because
37:18James knew
37:19they were
37:19children.
37:24The nature
37:25of James's
37:26injuries also
37:27raised doubts
37:27as to whether
37:28the attack
37:29could be
37:29justified as
37:30self-defense.
37:31The defense
37:32case statement
37:32that we got
37:33from Joshua's
37:35legal team
37:35was that he
37:36was attacked
37:36by James
37:37so he had
37:38to lash out.
37:40From James's
37:40autopsy it was
37:41noticed that he
37:42had four
37:43penetrative stab
37:44wounds.
37:45Two were at
37:46the front to
37:46the chest and
37:47abdomen and
37:48there were two
37:48to his right
37:49flank.
37:50Joshua had no
37:51injuries at all
37:52which I think
37:53was very telling.
37:55He was attacked
37:55so he had to
37:56defend himself
37:57yet he had no
37:57defensive injuries
37:58and James had
37:59four penetrative
38:01stab wounds.
38:02He didn't just
38:03stab James once
38:04not twice
38:06four times
38:07in nine seconds.
38:12That says it all.
38:13after a month
38:20in court the jury
38:21and the Joshua
38:22Sparks murder
38:22trial began
38:23their deliberations.
38:26I know we got
38:27the right person.
38:29However we are
38:31relying on 12
38:32members of the
38:33jury to be sure
38:34that beyond all
38:36reasonable doubt
38:37Joshua Sparks
38:38intended to kill
38:40James Gibbons.
38:45You're always
38:45slightly worried
38:46that you might
38:47get an adverse
38:48jury verdict.
38:50You go to
38:51court and you've
38:51got two professional
38:52sides of his
38:53character trying to
38:54put doubt in the
38:55jury's mind.
38:56Of course we're
38:57worried.
38:59The main reason
38:59for the conviction
39:00for me was because
39:02when telling my
39:03children something
39:03bad had happened
39:04to their dad you
39:05want to follow it
39:06up with but it's
39:08okay because this
39:09happened.
39:11Not that the
39:12person got away
39:12with it.
39:17Despite
39:18several days of
39:19deliberation the
39:20jury still couldn't
39:21agree on a
39:22unanimous verdict.
39:24The longer you
39:24sit in the
39:25police room and
39:26wait for a
39:26decision you're
39:27trying to live
39:27the mind of the
39:28jury and what
39:29could they
39:29possibly be
39:30discussing.
39:31When the jury
39:31retire the judge
39:33always tells them
39:33he expects a
39:35unanimous guilty
39:36or not guilty.
39:36For the case of
39:38Josh the judge
39:39give them the
39:39majority verdict
39:40ruling so as
39:41long as 10 of
39:42you agree then
39:43that will be the
39:44verdict of all
39:45of you.
39:49On the 3rd of
39:50November 2021 the
39:52jury finally reached
39:54their decision.
39:58There's not a
40:00feeling I've ever
40:00felt like it.
40:01You could hear
40:02every sound.
40:04and you know it
40:05was quiet.
40:10The judge
40:11called the jury
40:12back into court
40:12and it was
40:13returned as a
40:14guilty for murder
40:15on a 10 to 2
40:16majority.
40:18I see Gavin
40:20Wiseman next to
40:21me.
40:22Oh.
40:23I looked across
40:28at the mum
40:29and she broke
40:32down.
40:35All that
40:35tension
40:36the whole
40:37weight
40:37had just
40:38gone
40:38just
40:39we can
40:41breathe
40:41we've done
40:43well for
40:43James
40:44and we've
40:45got justice.
40:45The verdict
40:49brought relief
40:49to James's
40:50family but
40:51was met
40:51with anger
40:52and menace
40:52by those
40:53supporting
40:54Joshua Sparks.
40:57There was an
40:58uproar with
40:59the youths
41:00directing
41:01signs to
41:02us.
41:03Some of
41:04them was
41:05very visual.
41:07They were
41:07intimidating.
41:08To be honest
41:09with you the
41:09perpetrator was
41:10as well.
41:11I believe
41:13after Joshua
41:13was told
41:14he'd been
41:14found guilty
41:15and was
41:15sent down
41:16he made a
41:17gesture towards
41:18his family
41:18which caused
41:20some annoyance
41:23to James's
41:23family
41:23understandably.
41:26A month
41:27later on
41:28the 3rd of
41:28December
41:2916 year old
41:30Joshua Sparks
41:31returned to
41:32court to be
41:32sentenced.
41:34For adults
41:35knife related
41:35murders can
41:37attract up to
41:3725 year
41:38minimum
41:38sentence.
41:39That was
41:39never going
41:40to happen
41:40for Josh
41:40because of
41:40his age.
41:41Joshua
41:43Sparks
41:44was sentenced
41:44to 13
41:45years.
41:48He was a
41:49juvenile.
41:51And there
41:51are restrictions
41:52that are in
41:52place and
41:53they're set
41:53by legislation.
41:55And that's
41:56really tough
41:56for the
41:57family.
41:59It was
41:59a relief
42:00to have
42:01that verdict
42:01come through
42:02but the
42:03sentencing
42:04is not
42:05long enough.
42:08The judge
42:09has to
42:09consider
42:09aggravating
42:10and mitigating
42:11factors that
42:12can move
42:13the sentence
42:13around.
42:15And bringing
42:16the knife to
42:17the scene
42:17did increase
42:18the sentencing.
42:19I'm really proud
42:25of the work
42:26my investigation
42:26team has
42:27carried out
42:27in this case.
42:29The moment
42:29the first
42:30came into
42:31our control
42:31room,
42:32every single
42:32member of
42:33the team
42:33worked with
42:34a single-minded
42:34focus
42:35catching the
42:36person responsible.
42:38However,
42:39my thoughts
42:39today are
42:40entirely with
42:41James' family
42:42and friends
42:42who have
42:43conducted
42:43themselves
42:44with incredible
42:45dignity
42:45throughout this
42:46whole investigation.
42:46nothing will
42:47bring back
42:48James to
42:48his family
42:49and friends
42:49but I hope
42:50that today
42:51brings them
42:52some comfort
42:53and that
42:54justice has
42:54been served
42:55and his
42:56killer is
42:56facing a
42:57custodial
42:58sentence
42:58for his
42:59crime.
43:04The main
43:05concern I
43:05have with
43:06the sentencing
43:07was that
43:09when he's
43:09released
43:10my children
43:11will still
43:12be quite
43:12young.
43:13I'd rather
43:13they were
43:13adults when I
43:14told them.
43:14I don't
43:15want them
43:15to be
43:15scared
43:16but no
43:17when they're
43:17still quite
43:17young
43:18we'll have
43:18to have
43:18the conversation
43:19that the
43:20person that
43:21took their
43:21dad is
43:22free.
43:24Although
43:25Joshua was
43:26a juvenile
43:26the judge
43:27took the
43:27exceptional
43:28step of
43:29permitting his
43:29name to be
43:30made public.
43:34I think it's
43:34right that the
43:35judge did lift
43:36the anonymity
43:36order.
43:37It's such a
43:38serious crime.
43:39It's important
43:52for me to
43:54say what
43:55James was
43:56like.
43:58The loving
43:59son,
44:00father.
44:03And if he
44:04saw anyone
44:04vulnerable
44:05he was the
44:06person that
44:07would be
44:07there to
44:08help them.
44:09That's the
44:12type of
44:12man he
44:12is.
44:13He was.
44:20Look at that
44:21cheeky smile.
44:24I see him in the
44:25children a lot.
44:26We have pictures
44:27everywhere.
44:27Nobody's looking
44:28at James.
44:29They're so sweet.
44:29I often think
44:32about how
44:33would he be
44:33with them now
44:34at this age.
44:35It just
44:36makes me sad
44:37for the life
44:37that we
44:38didn't get to
44:38have.
44:38Happy birthday
44:49to you.
44:51Happy birthday
44:53to you.
44:54I think social
44:55media had a role
44:56in playing in terms
44:58of offering Joshua
44:59Sparks a platform
45:01or a way to
45:03share what he's
45:05done, to boost
45:06his status in his
45:07eyes and to be
45:08responded to by
45:09others.
45:14He shouldn't be
45:15carrying a knife in
45:16the first place.
45:16It's just so
45:20disappointing and
45:21soul-destroying that
45:24innocent members of
45:26the public are losing
45:26their lives as a
45:28result of these
45:29mindless people who
45:32are using these
45:34weapons in this
45:35way.
45:37There's something
45:37wrong in the way
45:39that the youths are
45:41growing up today.
45:42Maybe they're being
45:43influenced by social
45:44media, but something
45:46needs to be done.
45:48If we can use
45:49James' memory for
45:50any reason, it
45:51would be to help
45:52save a life.
46:16on the way.
46:18It's just so
46:19easy to know.
46:20We can use
46:21your life and
46:21can even
46:22see you
46:23as soon as you
46:23as soon as you
46:24have been
46:24to help.
46:24It's just so
46:25important and
46:26that you
46:26can find
46:27a life in the way.
46:28If we can use
46:28a life in the way,
46:29it would be to help
46:30when you
46:30can use
46:31that you
46:32have authority
46:33and that you
46:33move on to
46:34the way.
46:34To help you
46:35get up to
46:35the way.
46:36Let's
46:36express
46:36your life
46:37and
46:38think
46:38you
46:39need
46:40to
46:40dear
46:42your life
46:43to
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