Man found guilty of murdering 18 year old Taylor Williams in Basingstoke

A 29 year old man has been found guilty of murdering 18 year old Taylor Williams in Basingstoke in the summer of 2019.

Olamide Soyege, 29, of Mayswood Gardens, Dagenham, was found guilty of Taylor's murder by a jury sitting at Winchester Crown Court following a seven week trial. 

He and co-defendant Terence Maccabee, aged 19, of Radnor Road, Peckham, had both denied killing Taylor, who was found with stab wounds in the street at Shooters Way, Basingstoke, on Saturday 31 August, 2019. Taylor, from Bromley, later died in hospital. 

The jury found Maccabee not guilty of murder but guilty of Taylor's manslaughter.

Soyege, Maccabee and third co-defendant, Paige Taylor, 24, of St Michael's Road, Basingstoke, were all found guilty of robbery of an unnamed victim in Bermuda Park, Basingstoke, on August 31 and conspiracy to rob Taylor Williams and others.

On a further offence of possessing a bladed article, Maccabee was found guilty and Soyege was found not guilty.

A jury at Winchester Crown Court had been told that Taylor was part of a London based drug network. He was staying at a flat at Kingfisher House, Shooters Way, Basingstoke, when rivals from another drug network turned up and tried to rob Taylor and his associates on Saturday, August 31, 2019.

The prosecution said Soyege threatened Taylor at knifepoint. A fight then broke out after Taylor pushed Soyege, who retaliated with a punch.
Taylor escaped via a window following a struggle and then realised he had been stabbed.

The court was told at 10.34pm a call was made to the Ambulance Service. Paramedics attended and found Taylor in the street collapsed with stab wounds to his chest and right armpit and a further laceration to his left forearm. His death was caused by the chest wound, which penetrated his heart.

Shortly after, at 10.53pm, a further call was made to the Ambulance Service. This time, they attended Normanton Road, around two minutes from the original scene, and found a second young male who had been stabbed.

This young man was Terrence Maccabee. He had sustained five stab wounds and he was placed into an induced coma while being treated in hospital. He was later arrested on suspicion of murder while still in hospital.

The original trial of the three began in March 2020 before it was halted due to the Coronavirus epidemic.

Following his death, Taylor's family released the following tribute: “Words cannot express the way we feel about losing a much loved son and brother.

“Taylor was a charming, loving and funny young man with a large extended family who supported him throughout his years.

“Our Taylor has been taken from us in such a heartbreaking, devastating way but our faith in God is such that we know the Lord will find a way to turn this tragic incident into something positive. We love you Taylor. Sleep in eternal peace.”