Kevin Richards, 32, was in the Old Bailey dock alongside a top sports agent with links to Premier League star Ashley Cole and rapper Jay Z

Brent & Kilburn Times: Kevin Rowe has been jailed for 24 years for the murder of Danny O'SheaKevin Rowe has been jailed for 24 years for the murder of Danny O'Shea (Image: Archant)

A Harlesden man has been cleared of murdering an innocent teenager in a “revenge” attack over a stolen BlackBerry phone.

Kevin Richards was found not guilty along with seven other men of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Danny O’Shea.

The 32-year-old was in the Old Bailey dock alongside a top sports agent with links to Premier League star Ashley Cole and rapper Jay Z.

Christopher Nathaniel, 40, who told the court he once helped former Prime Minister Tony Blair launch an anti-knife crime campaign, was accused of orchestrating the attack after his business partner Paul Boadi, 34, was mugged.

Mr O’Shea died just yards from his mother’s home in Canning Town, east London, after being stabbed in the throat on December 2, 2011.

Today the jury unanimously cleared eight men of murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm after 22 hours of deliberations.

Another defendant, O’Neil Wareham, was also cleared of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.

Nugent Rowe, 29, from Pinner, Middlesex, was convicted of the murder.

A female juror buried her face in a scarf as the verdicts were read out, while a member of Mr O’Shea’s family ran out of the court in tears.

Jurors were told Mr O’Shea been attacked by as many as seven men and after he died a Twitter message was published, which read: “The element of surprise, such a beautiful thing.”

Nathaniel, who was the only defendant not in court to hear the verdict, founded NVA Entertainment group in 2005.

He reportedly brokered a deal between England footballer Ashley Cole and rap star Jay Z in 2011, which saw the pair meet in New York to plan the building of a new London restaurant.

He also worked with Chelsea defender John Terry to negotiate a book deal and helped Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand set up his Live the Dream foundation, according to a biography on his Facebook page.

Nathaniel and Boadi, both of Docklands, east London; David Hylton, 47, from Holborn, central London; Andrew Johnson, 35, and Paul Johnson, 33, all from Harrow, north west London; Ferron Perue, 24, from Birmingham; Richards, and Scott Marius, 44, from Clinton Villas, west London, were all cleared of murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.

Rowe will be sentenced by Judge Richard Marks QC at 2pm tomorrow.