Cocaine shame of dead teen's father.

THE father of murdered teenager Shakilus Townsend is facing a jail sentence for possessing crack cocaine.

Derek Townsend, 47, pleaded guilty to having 11 wraps of crack, but was found not guilty at the Old Bailey of intending to supply them.

Townsend, of Herne Hill, south London, admitted he was addicted to drugs in May last year, when he was arrested.

But the court was told the death of his son two months later had made him re-focus his life away from crack.

Shakilus, 16, was lured to his death in a honeytrap by 15-yearold Samantha Joseph. She and six youths were given life sentences with minimum terms of between 10 and 15 years last month.

The court was told Derek Townsend was sitting in a silver Nissan car in Walworth Road, south London, when a policeman questioned him.

The drugs were found in a black plastic bag stuffed up his sleeve.

He told the court he was an addict at the time and would have smoked all the crack himself.

Recorder Anesta Weekes remanded Townsend on bail for pre-sentence reports, but warned he may face a jail sentence.