Welwyn Garden City killer of graduate Jamil Sarki jailed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-44768297

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A man has been jailed after murdering an engineering graduate who was stabbed while trying to get back money his friend lost in a scam.

Victim Jamil Sarki, 23, was killed in January after travelling from London to Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, in a bid to collect the £2,900.

His killer Daniel Frazer-Traille, 29, was ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years after being convicted last week.

At St Albans Crown Court, two other men were jailed for Mr Sarki's killing.

Keith Coventry, 35, was sentenced to seven years in prison and Vinnie Bradshaw, 19, was jailed for four years. They were both convicted of manslaughter by a jury last week.

All three men, of Bassingburn Walk in Welwyn Garden City, were also convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Sarki's friend, 19-year-old Gregory Yemba, who travelled to Hertfordshire with him, on 18 January.

The court heard on the day of the killing Mr Sarki's friend, Elijah Makinde, met Bradshaw and 18-year-old John Taycur, who was cleared of all charges during the trial, in London and was conned into handing over a "large sum of money".

When Mr Sarki heard about what happened, he tried to recover the money, the jury was told.

In response, the court heard Bradshaw put out a "call to arms" and his brother, Frazer-Traille, and friend, Coventry, lay in wait in Bassingburn Walk.

They then chased after Mr Sarki and Mr Yemba before Frazer-Traille stabbed the engineering graduate twice on the arm and once in the chest.

Mr Sarki's father said: "My son ran for his dear life, was pursued and violently hacked to death.

"He was our hope and aspiration for the future. This is a great loss - too much for us to bear."

Sentencing all three men, Judge Andrew Bright QC said: "Jamil Sarki was 23 when his life was cruelly ended by a fatal stab wound to the chest. His family have suffered an appalling loss."