Two teenage boys have been found guilty of the murder of 35-year-old Edward Reeve.

A 16-year-old from Christchurch and a 17-year-old from Bournemouth – who cannot be named for legal reasons – were found guilty of murder on Wednesday 27 July 2022 at Winchester Crown Court following a trial. The 16-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article at a previous hearing and the 17-year-old was found guilty of the same offence following the trial.

They are due to be sentenced at the same court at a later date.

On Wednesday 29 December 2021 Edward Reeve met a group of young people outside Walkford Stores in Ringwood Road.

He interacted with the group and invited them back to his home address in Heath Road. They were later joined by the 16-year-old defendant and socialised together that evening.

Just before 8pm on Friday 31 December 2021 the two defendants and three female friends were at Walkford Stores, before going to Edward Reeve’s home address.

While inside the address, the group went upstairs into a room with music equipment in it. The two defendants subsequently became angry and punched holes in the wall, before being asked to stop by the girls.

Shortly afterwards, the three girls decided to leave the address and walked back toward Ringwood Road.

Around 15 minutes later, the two male defendants caught up with the group outside Walkford Stores and they all walked to the train station together.

During this time, the 17-year-old defendant admitted to the three girls that they had just stabbed Mr Reeve. It was said that the 16-year-old boy stabbed him in the leg, while the 17-year-old boy said that he stabbed the victim in the ribs.

A knife was given from one of the defendants to a female member of the group. The knife was put inside the pocket of her coat, which was later found to have blood stains on it.

At around 7.55pm on Tuesday 4 January 2022 Dorset Police received a call raising concern for the welfare of Edward Reeve as he had not been seen for a few days.

Officers attended, with the ambulance service, and sadly located the body of Mr Reeve inside the address with significant injuries.

An investigation was subsequently launched by detectives from the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT).

A post-mortem examination established that Mr Reeve died as a result of multiple stab wounds and incised wounds.

Detectives carried out enquiries into the movements of the victim and established that he did not use his phone or make any bank transactions after Friday 31 December 2021.

As part of the investigation, a forensic examination of clothing and footwear that belonged to the defendants found blood staining that matched the DNA profile of Edward Reeve.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Huxter, of MCIT, said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family and friends of Edward Reeve at this incredibly difficult time. I hope that today’s verdicts provide them with some form of comfort following Ed’s tragic death.

“This was an atrocious crime where two boys showed no regard for Mr Reeve and attacked him within the safety of his own home. Neither of them have demonstrated any regret or remorse for their actions, which resulted in the death of a fellow human being.

“A detailed and meticulous investigation was carried out by Dorset Police, which allowed us to identify the culprits and bring them before the court to face the consequences of their despicable actions that have also caused significant distress to their own families.

“This case is a very sad reminder of the devastating impact knife crime can have on individuals, their families and communities and Dorset Police will always relentlessly pursue this type of dreadful and unnecessary criminality.

“If you believe someone is in immediate possession of a knife or offensive weapon please dial 999. If you would like to report your concerns about a knife carrier or need some advice, please email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or visit dorset.police.uk and report it online. Please help us prevent future tragedies such as this.”