A TEENAGER was stabbed to death in Basingstoke as a result of a turf war between two rival drug networks, a court has heard.

Judge Martin Spencer told Winchester Crown Court on Friday that 18-year-old Taylor Williams was killed after the head of a rival county lines drug gang could not "tolerate the competition".

The Bromley teenager died on his way to hospital on August 31, 2019, after a stabbing at Kingfisher House on Shooters Way.

Sentencing Mr Williams's killer, Olamide Soyege, last week, Judge Spencer said that the 29-year-old intended to kill the teenager.

The court had previously been told that Mr Williams had travelled to Basingstoke along with two associates on August 31 to set up shop in the town on behalf of the Ray network.

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On the same day, another drugs gang by the name of Coco had also started operating in Basingstoke.

County lines drugs networks operate by texting a list of prices for Class A drugs to numbers in the area. These lists can include more than 100 phone numbers.

And during the trial of Olamide Soyege, Terence Maccabee and Paige Taylor in November 2020, the jury were told that the two newcomer gangs had both sent out messages advertising drugs on August 31.

One of these coded messages from the Ray network read: "Food in town now."

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But the kingpin of the network that controlled the drugs scene in Basingstoke had found out about these texts and was not happy that others were trying to muscle in on his patch, according to the Judge.

That is when this shadowy figure turned to his "enforcer", Soyege, and "tracker", Maccabee, to "deal with the rival gangs".

"You clearly knew the Basingstoke area well," Judge Spencer said whilst addressing Soyege in sentencing last week.

"For at least 6-7 weeks, you had been deeply involved in supplying Class A drugs to addicts in Basingstoke, working for at least two lines.

"[A witness] described you as an enforcer. It was established that two other lines were attempting to sell drugs in Basingstoke.

"I find that he, [the head of Soyege's drugs network], cannot tolerate the competition.

"He sent [two associates] in a taxi to Overton, to fetch you back to Basingstoke in order to deal with the rival gangs. I suppose he told you you could keep whatever money and drugs you found."

Judge Spencer said that Soyege, along with Maccabee and Taylor, had planned to rob both the Coco and Ray lines to run them out of town and ensure that they could continue to dominate the territory.

First, the trio robbed a drugs runner representing Coco in Bermuda Park, Popley, with witnesses telling the court during the trial how Soyege punched the runner before dragging him down an alleyway.

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Then, 24-year-old Taylor used a spoon to remove drugs that had been hidden in his bottom.

Hours later, the trio had planned to rob Mr Williams and his two associates, who were representing the Ray line, in Kingfisher House.

The gang had cuckooed an apartment there, using it as a base of operations.

Cuckooing is where drugs lines exploit addicts and vulnerable people, who allow them to use their property as a base of operations in exchange for drugs or money.

Soyege and Maccabee entered, posing as drug addicts wanting to do a deal, before attempting to rob them.

When Mr Williams stood up to Soyege, a fight ensued and the man from Dagenham stabbed him five times, the court was told.

Soyege was convicted of murder, as well as robbery and conspiracy to rob, and was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 32 years.

Taylor was convicted of the robbery charges and pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, but played no part in the murder of Mr Williams. She was sentenced to a total of seven years in prison.

19-year-old Maccabee was found not guilty of murder, but convicted of manslaughter, as well as the robbery charges. He will be sentenced at a later date.