Man guilty of fashion designer's murder

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22842809

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A Moroccan man has been found guilty of stabbing a fashion designer to death in his north London flat.

Shaun Akanbi's body was found in his locked bedroom in Exeter Road, Kilburn, last December.

Achraf Jandara, 20, of Comber Grove, Camberwell, was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey. He was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 28 years.

He was captured on CCTV leaving wearing clothes from the 26-year-old victim's label Billy Boyce, the jury heard.

Mr Akanbi founded the fashion label in 2008 and his clothing range was popular with celebrities, the court heard.

The jury heard the pair had got in touch on Facebook and had arranged to meet at the flat for sex, but the killer's motive was robbery.

'Driven by greed'

Jandara's student visa expired a few days after the killing, the court heard.

Sentencing, Judge John Bevan QC described the killer as a "very dangerous man" who had killed a talented designer "on the threshold of success".

"I'm satisfied that you were driven by greed. He was, compared to you, industrious and successful."

The judge told Jandara the victim had "clearly wanted a sexual relationship and you led him on".

Mr Akanbi's family raised the alarm after no-one had seen him for three days.

During the trial prosecutor Peter Finnigan, QC, said: "The motive for the killing was very probably robbery. Items were stolen from the flat."

In a statement read to the court, the victim's mother, Morenike Adeyemi, said her son was "ambitious and very determined".

"He was subjected to a frenzied attack and had no opportunity to defend himself."