Morning:
14°c
Judge warns of 'danger on our streets'
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent17.03.09
A JUDGE warned that London streets are becoming "increasingly dangerous places" as he jailed five men for stabbing a youth to death.
Trainee mechanic Jevon Henry, 18, was stabbed in the heart in a drugs war between a black and an Asian gang.
Judge Giles Forrester described the killing in a car park in St John's Wood as "cowardly and wicked". He said: "The attack was described by one witness as one of the most shocking things she had ever seen." Three other women went to help the injured youth.
The judge added: "Why should people be drawn into events such as this? London's streets are becoming increasingly dangerous places."
The Old Bailey heard that Henry and a friend had been trying to extort money from drug dealer Muhid Abdul, 25. The pair were ambushed on the Lisson Green estate by Abdul and four accomplices.
Abdul stabbed Henry while Toufajul Miah, 19, hit him with a hammer. Abdul and Miah, with their brothers Jubed Miah, 26, and Kamal Abdul, 21, and Taz Uddin, 22, all from St John's Wood were all given life sentences. Muhid Abdul was told he will serve a minimum of 19 years, Toufajul Miah at least 16 years. The others were given a minimum of 15 years.
Reader views (9)
I went to school with that Jubed Miah, he was suspended in year 8 for bottling a kid and he is also related to an old friend of mine, I can't believe this guy went down the pan like this.
- Johnny, LONDON
We cannot depend on the Government or the Police to defend us; that is for sure.
So I say to the Government and the Police; let us all defend ourselves; without you arresting us, and charging us with offenses against the criminals that attack us etc.
Give us the legal right to do as we see fit; when we are under attack.
You members of the Government are protected by armed police; the public are not defended at all.
If it is ok for the public to be unprotected; then you should follow the disregard you set for us all; and refuse the armed protection services you all receive etc.
Then we will see; how you expect us to respond; by you doing the same.
There are only two ways the public can respond to attacks of all kinds from criminals; get killed without any response legally; or live by self defence illegally.
Like in all government replies to injustices for the ordinary law abiding citizens; you demand that we do not defend ourselves; and insist that the police do it instead; yet they are not able to do it; are they?
An Englishman’s castle; is a criminal’s open door in the UK today; and they can kill us; but we can’t hurt them.
- Mickyinlondon, london
I'm afraid 15 years is not enough. Murder or murder by gangs 50 years a piece, is our only salvation.
- Mike, London
Nah, the Judge got it wrong because the arch expense raider (embezzler but for parliamentary privilege) has said that crime is dropping, so the Judge knows nothing!
Better that the elected representative charged with our safety took her snout out of the trough to look around and see what is going on!
- Hugh, Middx
Increased policing on the streets with frequent stop and search could have prevented this and other knife crimes.
Police continue to deal with mountains of paper work. It is time the Home Secretary released police to deal with crime on our streets away from form filling and sitting at desk.
Ken Rogers MA (criminology) FIISEC. MIIRSM former active police officer.
- Ken Rogers, Wivenhoe, UK.
This is not the England that so many gave their lives for in WW2! In honor of this freedom,let's get the country back on track.
- Danny, Victoria, BC
I've no sympathy for these people, they bring it on themselves, but I also blame the Govenment for not doing enough to cut crime. Law abiding citizens will avoid getting involved with these types of incidents in case of reprisals and a lack of trust in the authorities. The Government and Judges don't do enough to keep these criminals off the streets. The police are contrained by paperwork, we have 'plastic police' who are as useful as a chocolate tea-pot, when I recently asked one a question he couuld barely put an intelligent sentence together.
- Alan, London
So why has he not taken them off the streets for fifty years? Thay will be out in their 30s and probably still dangerous!
- Michael, London
Don't these people read the papers - Jacqui Smith has informed us that crime levels are dropping.
- Andre, london
