After three trials and almost six years the killers of ten-year-old Damilola Taylor have finally been brought to justice.

Two brothers, Danny and Ricky Preddie, aged 18 and 19, who both have long criminal records, were found guilty at the Old Bailey today of the manslaughter of the schoolboy who bled to death in the arms of a stranger on an estate in Peckham, south London in November 2000.

The brothers, from Peckham, were cleared in April of the 10-year-old’s murder and assault with intent to rob, but a retrial was ordered because the jury could not agree on the manslaughter charge.

They had originally been arrested a few days after Damilola was stabbed in the leg with a broken bottle near his home in Peckham.

But vital leads were missed by a forensic laboratory and investigators. The Forensic Science Service, a Home Office agency at the time, is now launching an inquiry into the slip-ups which were later picked up by a private science lab.

Forensic evidence, including a drop of Damilola’s blood found on the heel of a trainer found in Danny’s room and another found on a sweatshirt in Ricky’s room, convicted the two boys.

There were also a number of fibres on clothing but it emerged that the first lab would not have routinely checked for these unless requested to by a senior police officer.

Scotland Yard is now re-examining a number of other cases to see if other vital forensic evidence has been overlooked.

The brothers, who were 12 and 13 at the time of the killing, were released without charge. One was being monitored by the probation service at the time and the other was on bail under curfew and detained at a children’s home.

They were re-arrested last year when a second forensic laboratory re-examined clothing seized at the time and discovered spots of Damilola’s blood and fibres from his uniform.

The youths, also from Peckham, had denied the charge. They had been on conditional bail since April.

Another defendant, Hassan Jihad, 20, from Peckham, was cleared of all charges following the three-month trial held in April.

Four other youths, all aged under 18, stood trial at the Old Bailey in 2002 and were cleared after the chief prosecution witness, a young girl codenamed Bromley, was labelled a liar.

The cost of the investigations and court cases is estimated at £16 million.

As the verdicts were announced Ricky Preddie, surrounded by a dozen security guards, started shouting and swearing in the dock, accusing the jury of being corrupt.

In contrast Damilola’s father, Richard Taylor, looked calm as he heard the verdict while his mother Gloria looked down, one hand held to her cheek as the day she had waited for finally arrived.

Reading a statement outside court, with his wife by his side, Damilola’s father Richard said: "We the family feel no verdict can return our son to us, but it is a great comfort that justice finally has been done for Damilola.

"We pray his gentle soul can now rest in peace."

In November 2000 as Damilola made his way home from an after-school club at the local library he was surrounded by a gang of youths.

They demanded his distinctive silver puffa jacket but he bravely refused to hand it over. When he did so one of them, believed to be Ricky, stabbed him in the leg with a broken beer bottle.

This was known by the gang as ‘juking’ and they used it as a form of punishment, maybe because it would never usually be serious enough to cause death.

But in Damilola’s case the shard of glass severed a major artery just above his knee.

He was found slumped against a wall by carpenter Guillermo Casal who had following a trail of blood.

After collapsing into his arms, Damilola’s last words were "I’m OK, I’m OK".

Danny had the reputation of being even more lawless than his older brother and detectives believe it was his desire to steal Damilola’s jacket that led to the fatal confrontation.

The Preddies, who will be sentenced later this month, were prominent in a local gang and were in youth detention centres serving sentences for other offences when they were re-arrested.

They denied being involved in the attack on Damilola although the prosecution said there was "compelling evidence" against them.

The jury was told they had convictions for robbery, some at knifepoint. The brothers were implicated soon after Damilola’s death with other suspects telling officers: "Ask the Preddies" when questioned.

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