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'My son killed someone': Shocking police call sees mom turn in teen son for stabbing rival to death

The accused son, Joshua Delbono, 19, was jailed for life on Tuesday, April 11, with a minimum term of 21 years

BRISTOL, ENGLAND: A shocking 999 call captured the moment a mother turned in her teen son to police for stabbing a 16-year-old schoolboy to death. Joshua Delbono knifed Charley Bates through the heart during a skirmish between two rival groups in Radstock, Somerset last July in 2022.

The murderer, now 19, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years after a jury found him guilty following a two-week trial at Bristol Crown Court. The court heard how Joshua's own mother Donna called the authorities to report what he did after he returned to the family home in Frome about six hours after the homicide.

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Donna Delbono's 999 call

"My son's killed someone," she told the operator, who then asked for the location of the incident. "It was at Radstock earlier. He's just come back and I've found out. He's in my house now but I can't let him go anywhere," she said, adding, "He's here. I've told him I've got to do it." Joshua was jailed for life on Tuesday, April 11, with a minimum term of 21 years at Bristol Crown Court.

Two cars reportedly arrived at a car park, one of which was carrying Joshua, the court heard. Charlie approached the car due to a dispute with one of the defendant's friends over money and a fight broke out, involving friends of both individuals. At some point, Joshua picked up his knife and stabbed Charlie in the chest. The victim reportedly also sustained a knife wound to his arm while trying to defend himself. The incident lasted just five minutes before Joshua fled the scene with his group. Charlie was pronounced dead 35 minutes later, the court heard.

'I'm not getting stabbed'

Joshua reportedly traveled half an hour to Shearwater Lake in an attempt to cover his tracks. He was pictured on a friend's phone burning his clothes. However, upon returning home six hours after the stabbing, his mother called the police and informed them that her son had killed someone. At one point during the call, she handed the phone to her son. "I don't know anything about him (the victim) at all," he told the operator. "I went in to help my mate. I thought 'I'm not getting stabbed,'" he added.

The Frome, Somerset resident admitted to stabbing the victim but pleaded not guilty to murder. However, a jury unanimously found him guilty on Tuesday. During sentencing, Judge William Hart noted what started out as a normal fistfight ended with a "young boy with his whole life ahead" lying dead on the ground. "You took the knife from the car intending to use it as you did, not to warn people off," he told Joshua, before issuing a warning about the dangers of young people carrying knives. "Let me say to all who hear my remarks of the damage that is caused by carrying knives. You may rob a person of their life. What happened that day cast a horrible shadow over everyone," he added.

DCI Mark Almond issued a statement after the case. "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Charley's family who have experienced unimaginable pain over the past nine months. They continue to grieve for Charley and we are offering them support through our specially-trained officers," he said, "Charley had his whole life ahead of him and it was cut short by Joshua Delbono. The vigil held in his memory in Radstock in the days after this senseless tragedy highlights how his death affected the community and how popular a person he was." Almond added,

"Such incidents are thankfully rare in Radstock, but the devastating consequences knife crime has on families and communities is clear for all to see and it is why we are committed to working with our partners to do all that we can to prevent more tragedies like this from happening," Almond concluded.