Little Harrowden killers 'never attempted to transact a deal'

A judge who sentenced three Little Harrowden killers to almost 40 years in prison said there was never an attempt to buy drugs from the victim, who plainly had no drugs on him, and it was a robbery that turned into a killing.

Sifean Ghilani, 20, of Winstanley Road, Wellingborough; Tristan Patel, 18, of Newcomen Road, Wellingborough; Levar Thomas, 21, of Knox Road, Wellingborough were all found guilty of conspiracy to rob and manslaughter in connection to Stevie Pentelow's death following an attack in Little Harrowden on June 21, 2019.

In his sentencing remarks at yesterday's hearing, Judge Mayo said: "The three travelled in Levar Thomas’s Peugeot car to the village of Little Harrowden because a meeting had been set up by Sophie Hughes to buy drugs to the value of about £1,500."

A similar drugs deal had taken place in January, where Pentelow had left the drugs in a bush and then collected the money from Ghilani by getting into the car.

Judge Mayo said: "On the day he was killed, the attack on him commenced as he approached the car with Sophie Hughes...I am sure that there was never any attempt to transact a deal. This was a robbery which turned into a killing."

Judge Mayo also highlighted the fact that Pentelow was only seen carrying a bottle of beer and a mobile phone.

"He had no rucksack or other bag on him...For the three defendants in the car, it would have been plain that he was not carrying drugs."

Yet Pentelow was attacked immediately by Patel and Ghilani, who fatally stabbed the victim through the chest and penetrated his heart.

Ghilani had claimed he had £1,450 with him in the car, but the judge rejected this and said there had been no need to be carrying the money.

Instead, Judge Mayo said Ghilani and Patel had knives and face coverings as part of a plan to rob Pentelow.

Judge Mayo said Patel had been recruited to threaten the intended victim. He has previous convictions for carrying a knife and a bottle of ammonia and despite Patel's denials of having a knife, Judge Mayo said it was "patently visible in his hand".

Thomas claimed to have no knowledge of the weapons, but Judge Mayo said: "I am satisfied that Thomas knew this from his long-standing association with Ghilani.

Ghilani and Thomas had been dealing drugs together before the Little Harrowden incident and were found with £2,800 worth of cash and drugs in Neath, South Wales, in March 2019 and were sentenced to two years in prison each.

Judge Mayo said he was further satisfied of Thomas' involvement through his actions as the driver of the group.

The judge said: "The eyewitness accounts as to the movement of the Peugeot before, during and after the fatal assault on Pentelow and analysis of the CCTV stills of the location leave me sure that Thomas knew of the plan and made ready for a quick getaway."

Judge Mayo said he concluded the plan came together when the group stopped for around 18 minutes in Denford on their way to collect Sophie Hughes.

He said: "It was from this moment that I conclude that the plan to rob, using knives and face-coverings (if the need arose), was sealed.

"For the deception on Pentelow to work, it would have been important that Hughes was not part of the agreement. She was the only person with access to Pentelow by phone or text."

Once they were in Little Harrowden, Judge Mayo said: "As it turned out, there was no robbery or attempt to rob Pentelow – nothing was demanded of him as he approached the car."

Instead, he was fatally assaulted by Ghilani and Patel.

Judge Mayo said: "Thomas knew that an assault was to take place by this time because it would have been obvious to anyone in the car that Pentelow was not carrying the goods which they had arrived to steal from him."

Thomas did not stop the engine during the incident, moved the car once Hughes had got out to meet Pentelow, and then drove the group away at speed.

Ghilani and Patel then acted to cover their actions. Ghilani threw his knife out of the window and changed his phone more than once. Patel dropped his phone in a cup of Pepsi.

The trio were jailed for a total of 39 years and will serve two thirds of their sentences in prison when the Release of Prisoners Order 2019 comes into force, an act that ensures prisoners serving violent crime sentences stay in jail for longer.