The fatal stabbing, which police say sent “shockwaves through the community”, took place on Thirlmere Avenue just before 7pm on Saturday 22 January 2022.
Kennie was described by his family as being a “cheeky chappy”, whose death left a “massive hole” in their lives.
With the second anniversary of Kennie’s death now only a few months away, and the police investigation still ongoing, GMP has now revealed that nine people were arrested, and later charged, on suspicion of murder and manslaughter yesterday (31 October).
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#CHARGED | Officers investigating the death of Kennie Carter in Stretford have today (31/10/2023) charged 9 with murder and manslaughter.
Jabriel Ferguson, 18, of School Walk in Old Trafford, and Rashaun Williams, also 18, of Manor Grove in Stafford, have been charged with murder and manslaughter, while a further seven males (aged 17, 16, three aged 15-year, and two aged 14), who cannot be named for legal reasons, have also been charged with murder and manslaughter.
All nine were also due to appear at Manchester City Magistrates Court yesterday.
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“The thoughts of everyone in the investigation team remain with Kennie’s family, who continue to be supported by specially trained officers and are aware of the progress being made in this investigation,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Nicola McCulloch, of GMP Major Incident Team, as the nine people were charged yesterday.
“As a result of our enquiries, nine males have been charged today – but I want to be clear, this is not the end of our appeal for information.”
Nine charged with murder and manslaughter over death of Trafford teen Kennie Carter / Credit: GMP
GMP has assured locals that, in the coming days, there will be more officers in the area from the local Neighbourhood Teams and Xcalibre Task Force “on patrol” and “engaging with residents and young people”.
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This is part of GMP’s partnership response to tackling serious youth violence across the Stretford and Hulme areas – which comes under the named ‘Operation Tahara’.
DCI McCulloch continued: “We still request that anyone with information about Kennie’s death or relevant footage – including mobile, CCTV, or dashcam – make contact with police.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact GMP by calling either 0161 856 9908 or 101, quoting incident 2529 of 22/01/2022, while any footage or images from the night should be submitted to the dedicated online portal here.
Alternatively, you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
News
North West water bills to see the biggest average increase of anywhere in the country in 2026
Emily Sergeant
Water bills in the North West are set to see the biggest increase in 2026 on average.
It has been announced that household water bills in England and Wales will rise by an average of 5.4% overall – which works out to around £33 a year, or approximately £2.70 per month – from April, which is said to be two percentage points above December’s official inflation figure… but when you look closer at the North West, that percentage rises from 5.4% to 9%.
The average United Utilities water bill is set to sit at £660 annually in 2026-27, with that being an increase of £57 from the previous year – the largest increase of anywhere else in the country.
Water UK says the nationwide rise in bills reflects the ‘significant investment’ being put towards upgrading water infrastructure.
More than two million households currently receive help with their water bills. An extra 300,000 households are expected to receive support in 2026-27. Find out more: https://t.co/DSDpAmawX8pic.twitter.com/N2LFpjxEQE
Water companies are said to be currently in the process of delivering a £104 billion investment programme to secure the nation’s water supplies, support economic growth, and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.
The money raised by water bills can only be used to fund infrastructure that is independently determined to be ‘new, necessary, and value for money’.
The regulator says United Utilities will begin a £3 billion upgrade in 2026 of the 110 km Haweswater Aqueduct, which carries 570 million litres of water every day to 2.5 million people in Cumbria, Lancashire, and Greater Manchester (or nearly 5% of England’s population), hence water bills increasing at a higher rate to other areas.
North West water bills are set to see the biggest average increase in 2026 / Credit: Raibeart MacAoidh (via Geograph)
“We understand increasing bills is never welcome, but the money is needed to fund vital upgrades to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas,” explained David Henderson, who is the Chief Executive at Water UK.
“While we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many this increase will be difficult.
“That is why we will help around 2.5 million households – more than ever before – with average discounts of around 40% off their water bill.”
More than two million households currently receive help with their bills through social tariffs, the WaterSure scheme, and other affordability measures, and an extra 300,000 households are expected to receive support in 2026-27, taking the total number to around 2.5 million.
Those who are struggling should contact their water company to see what help is available, as support can often be tailored to individual circumstances.
Featured Image – Sora Shimazaki (via Pexels)
News
Deansgate bar Simmons closes just over a year after opening
Danny Jones
London-born bar brand Simmons has closed their Manchester site just over a year after opening their first Northern location.
They’ve lasted roughly 15 months on one of our busiest nightlife strips.
Opening on Deansgate back in October 2024, Simmons Manchester wasn’t just their first foray here up in this half of the country but their only other venue outside of the capital.
An otherwise well-established and popular chain down south, they have a total of 15 different bars in central London, but things clearly haven’t quite taken off as planned here in Manchester.
Placing a poster in the unit’s shopfront besides the likes of Be At One, Yours, The Moon Under The Water Spoons and the Deansgate branch of Slug and Lettuce, as you can see, the fellow franchise founded over a decade ago said: “After much consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye”, they add, “We’re incredibly proud of what the team built here and so grateful to them, as well as everyone who joined us over the past year.
“We’ve had some unforgettable nights. We love Manchester, and we hope to be back under the right conditions.”
They go on to thank everyone for being “part of the journey”, but for now, it looks like the room has closed effective immediately.
Simmons started back in 2012 when founder Nick Campbell opened the first bar below his flat in Kings Cross, and their presence has grown hugely since then. The closing sign was spotted and shared on social media earlier this week.
Offering everything from stylish cocktails to New York-style pizza, live music and even private karaoke booths, the place had plenty going on.
With rising business rates, energy bills and more dovetailing with the continuing cost of living crisis that is still hampering both hospitality and the nightime economy, they are just one of many to unfortunately close their doors of late.
For instance, it was only earlier this month that we saw multiple well-known names shut up shop here in the city centre or elsewhere in Greater Manchester, including another long-standing late-night favourite, Revolution.
It’s a shame for any business to close, and we certainly hope they’ll return someday with a model that can be sustained in the current climate.
Emily Sergeant -
1st November 2023 
