Colchester: Two men plead guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent

Two men have pleaded guilty to Grievous Bodily Harm with intent, following a serious assault in Colchester in January.

An investigation by Essex and Kent Serious Crime Directorate was launched on Tuesday, 9 January after a 16-year-old boy was found seriously injured at Queen Street in Colchester.

The victim was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and luckily has since made a full recovery.

Enquiries were quickly launched, and a scene remained in place in the city centre for a couple of days.

CCTV enquiries indicated that the victim had been involved in an argument with two men, inside Pepes Chicken Shop shortly before 6:30pm. The argument had escalated into a fight in the street, where the victim sustained multiple stab wounds.

These enquiries identified Kaya Adu, 19 and Rushi Jadeja, 21 as the main suspects. They were arrested in Colchester on 13 January, they were charged with attempted murder. Adu was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Following a hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on 9 April, both men entered guilty pleas to Section 18- grievous bodily harm with intent which was accepted.

They will appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on 4 June 2024 to be sentenced.

Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood from Essex and Kent Serious Crime Directorate said:

“This assault was extremely concerning for residents in Colchester with it taking place outside a busy fast food restaurant in the early evening.

“The victim sustained serious injuries and has had to have multiple surgeries following this assault but has thankfully made a full recovery.

“By the two men entering a guilty plea, this has saved the victim having to wait for a trial to get his justice. I hope that this allows him to put this awful assault behind him and move forward.

“I have to commend the work of our officers, who acted quickly to preserve the scene and collect vital evidence in order to make these arrests and secure these charges. I also have to commend the work of the paramedics on the night, who as always worked under immense pressure to help the victim.”