Charles Hartle has been sentenced to a minimum of 20 years detention for the murder of 18-year-old Noah Smedley. The teenager, who was 17 at the time of the attack, grinned before fatally stabbing Smedley through the heart with a Rambo-style knife on a dark street in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, on December 28 last year.
Hartle, now known as Charlie, was found guilty of murder following a two-week trial at Derby Crown Court. Judge Shaun Smith KC said the killing was "yet another reminder of the dreadful epidemic of knife crime" as he sentenced the now 18-year-old to life imprisonment.
The court heard that Hartle and his friends had arranged to meet Smedley, who arrived on an electric scooter to sell them cannabis. As Hartle moved towards Smedley after the drug deal, he "grinned or smiled before deliberately aiming for and stabbing him in the chest".
Knife obsession and gang culture
Hartle, known by the nickname "Lil Cee", had an "unhealthy fascination with knives, the use of knives and an obsession with gang culture". Concerns about him possessing weapons and dealing drugs had been raised by his family and school when he was as young as 12 or 13.
He had written violent rap lyrics boasting about knives and stabbing opponents, and posed on social media with weapons. The defendant often carried a Rambo-style knife for "the kudos and bravado", to portray himself as a "big man".
Only the Mirror reports that police footage shows Hartle running from the scene after the attack and making a phone call asking to be taken off speaker. After stabbing Smedley, Hartle went to a house party where witnesses saw him confessing to his girlfriend and showing her the knife, which has never been found.
Modern slavery concerns
Hartle's defence team revealed he had been identified as a victim of modern slavery just eight weeks before the killing. Peter Joyce KC said: "He was exploited by older males in and around Derbyshire, often made to sell drugs, and much of his troublesome behaviour stems from this."
According to The Standard, the authorities had done "precisely nothing" despite knowing about the troubled child throughout his teenage years. Joyce told the court: "Nothing was done by the local authority, the police, the education authority to prevent what happened. This was a very, very troubled child."
The defence explained that Hartle had "gone off the rails" shortly after his mother's death when he was 11, though he had demonstrated "genuine remorse and regret not just for himself but for Noah".
Judge's stark warning
Judge Smith told Hartle that his violent rap lyrics, including the line "to the opps that are wearing vests, for f*** sake let me just shank your heart", revealed "a very alarming side to you". He said: "Your music and lyrics boasted of being an experienced drug dealer and your affiliation with a gang. They demonstrated an obsession with carrying lethal weapons to kill or maim others."
The judge concluded: "You delivered the single fatal blow, no provocation, no hesitation, straight into the heart and out again. I have no doubt that you were carrying the knife for your own protection, but you were more than willing to produce it and use it."
Smedley's family said in a statement: "Noah was a beloved member of our family and community, and his loss has left an unfillable void in our lives. He was a shining light, full of love, laughter, and joy, and his memory will continue to inspire us."
Sources used: "Chronicle Live", "Mirror", "The Standard", "Derby Telegraph" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
