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Mac-10 killer to 'die behind bars' after murdering three victims
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent2 Oct 2008
A murderer will be told today he may die behind bars for executing three men with a Mac-10 sub-machinegun in a suburban bloodbath over a drug deal.
Kevan Thakrar, 21, would have killed two more women but his gun ran out of bullets.
Thakrar and his brother Miran, 24, forced Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew Cowell, 17, and a friend Tony Dulieu, 33, to kneel before them to be shot.
They carried out the revenge execution in August last year after blaming the Cowells for selling them poor quality cocaine.
To finish off any potential witnesses in the house in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, they resorted to knives.
Matthew's girlfriend Clare Evans, 23, was stabbed six times as she tried to protect her three-year-old daughter who was also at the house.
Miran, 24, was found guilty at St Albans crown court of three counts of murder, one of attempted murder and possessing a firearm with intent.
Kevan was also convicted of three counts of murder, two attempted murders, and a firearms offence.
Kevan, of Stevenage, was due to be sentenced today. His brother has already been given three life sentences and ordered to serve a minimum of 42 years. It is likely Kevan will receive a longer sentence because he has a far worse criminal record.
Stuart Trimmer QC, prosecuting, said: "The victims were shot while they were unarmed and defenceless. The evidence is that it was a planned execution.
"The reason for this assault is drug dealing. Disputes in this world are settled by violence."
The other defendants in the case have already been sentenced. Kevan's father Atul Thakrar, 47, also of Stevenage, was found guilty of assisting an offender and was jailed for four years.
Amanda Dansie, 21, of Buntingford, Hertfordshire, was also jailed for four years for assisting an offender.
Yilay Tufensoy, 21, of Enfield, was found guilty of assisting an offender and given a four-year sentence.
The morning after the attack Miran tried to escape to northern Turkey, which has no extradition arrangements with Britain.
Kevan was planning to join him with money and clothes, but was arrested at Heathrow Airport 10 minutes before his plane was due to take off.
In a text message to his brother, Miran had written: "Bring my phone, my jeans and as much money as you can. I will pick you up from the airport."
Reader views (13)
"and also make the law retrospective and put down all the murderers who are currently in our jails."
What a truly appalling suggestion. Not least because juries might well reach a different verdict if there was the possibility that the defendant might actually die because of their decision.
On the jury I myself served on, we reached our verdict on the basis of "beyond a reasonable doubt", as requested, but I don't think any of us were so absolutely certain of his guilt as to be comfortable with effectively ordering his killing.
- Michael, London, 03/10/2008 09:29
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I guess that these individuals will end up in a privately operated correctional facility, whose ethos is to treat offenders in a humane, respectful, manner with a strong emphasis on self regulating behaviour. They will be allowed mobile phones and of course hot water kettles and cable/satellite TV in their cells.
- John Tilly, Brisbane Australia, 02/10/2008 23:49
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They were prepared to kill women and children for drug money.
It is rare situations as this where I wish there was the death penalty. Rot in jail you bastards and then rot in hell for eternity. NEVER let them out. Never!
- Mel Andersson, Tenerife Canary Islands., 02/10/2008 19:02
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Dear Frank from the Home Counties. Would you also have loved it if that three year old child had also been killed? She had done nothing wrong and even though she survived is probably scarred for life. There are innocent victims in many of these situations. The grisly satisfaction you appear to take in these murders is disgusting.
- Lw, london, 02/10/2008 16:37
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If our MP's reflected the views of their voters they would have the "guts" to bring back the death penalty and also make the law retrospective and put down all the murderers who are currently in our jails.
- Mike Melbourne, Bedford, 02/10/2008 15:58
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It's "hanged" not "hung". I'm glad ill-educated people like Sanjay are not in charge of the criminal justice system
- Lemongrass, Hackney, 02/10/2008 14:32
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Your country needs to find a successor to Mr Pierrepoint and let him work his magic. Youi know, I doubt the death penalty actually deters these animals, however, the one on the end of the rope or the needle won't do it again.
- Critch, Missouri, USA, 02/10/2008 14:23
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If someone condemned to life in prison doesn't want want to live there, it isn't so hard for him to kill himself. Personally I'd be in favour of supplying euthanasia on request to such criminals. If a criminal thinks dying is more humane than life imprisonment, then let him choose to die.
I'm against capital punishment because of the impossibility of reversing a miscarriage of justice. If I were wrongly sentenced to life in prison, I'm pretty sure I'd regard that as better than a death sentence. I'd have hope that the miscarriage of justice might be recognised and I might be cleared and released.
- Nigel, London, 02/10/2008 14:22
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What a waste of valuable space! These people ARE NOT human. This sort of crime deserves a like for like punishment - should be hung.
- Sanjay, Hounslow, UK, 02/10/2008 12:12
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What has being humane got to do with anything, the torment IS the punishment, as is the beatings, glassing, homosexual rape, and mind crushing mental boredom. His life is over, now he has the rest of his days to work out why.
- Mike, london, 02/10/2008 11:28
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Criminals killing criminals, I love it!
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 02/10/2008 11:13
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What a world we live in. Messrs Blair and Bush ought to be behind bars for the murder of a million-and-a-half civilians.
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE ., 02/10/2008 10:20
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I can't understand what is served by putting a person behind bars for their natural life versus executing them. There's no possibility of this animal not having executed the three men. What exactly is the point of locking him up for the rest of his life, at huge cost and torment to him, rather than executing him? Behind bars for the rest of his life, his life is effectively over. The far-more-humane approach would be execution.
I still believe that as the criminal justice system in the U.K. descends into further chaos with ever more evil crimes being committed, some common-sense will return and we shall see capital punishment once again.
- Phil Jones, London UK, 02/10/2008 10:14
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