Keon Lincoln: Boy accused of shooting teenager 'lied about logging in to lessons'

The 14-year-old accused of firing two shots to murder Keon Lincoln is alleged to have lied to police by claiming he spent part of the day logged into online school lessons.

The Birmingham youth denied any involvement in the fatal shooting of Keon Lincoln in Linwood Road, Handsworth, shortly after 3.30pm on January 21 this year.

Jurors at the city’s Crown Court heard that the alleged gunman was arrested a week later and said he knew of Keon but “they had never fallen out”.

Summarising the defendant’s claims during his opening speech to the jury, prosecutor Michael Burrows QC said: “Asked what he had done on the 21st of January, he said in the morning he was at home and had logged on to online lessons at school.

(left to right) Family friend Pastor Neville Popo, mother Sharmaine Lincoln and twin sister Kiarah of 15-year-old Keon Lincoln who was murdered in a daylight street attack during a pooled media interview to appeal for witnesses to help catch his killers.
PA Video

“He said the lessons finished between 12 o’clock and 1.30pm.

“The school records show that what he was saying was false.

“The school records show he logged on at 08.30am that morning but that he did not log on to attend any lessons after 9am that day.”

During his police interview, the boy also claimed he had walked to a different area of Birmingham to visit a friend, in a street close to where the car used by Keon’s killers had crashed.

He also told police that he had watched television until around 11pm, before booking a taxi home.

Sharmaine Lincoln, mother of 15-year-old Keon Lincoln.
PA Video

But Mr Burrows told the jury: “He gave the phone number for the phone he said he had used to book the taxi.

“There is no record of that number being used to book a taxi.

“He also told the police that he had changed his hairstyle three or four days earlier. He said he did that because his hair was getting messy.”

Mr Burrows told the court that CCTV footage from December 31 last year – three weeks before the attack – showed the 14-year-old with a 16-year-old boy who also denies involvement in the murder.

The Crown’s barrister said of the footage: “It is significant because it shows (the 14-year-old) wearing clothing which appears to be the same clothing worn by the gunman who shot Keon Lincoln in Linwood Road.

“The prosecution say it was the same clothing because he was the gunman.”