Ronan Kanda: Judge lifts ban on naming "cowardly" teen killers
A judge has described the murder of Wolverhampton teenager Ronan Kanda as “cowardly” attack.
Sentencing his killers at the city's crown on Thursday, Mr Justice Aklaq Choudhury said it was “disturbing” that the lethal 'ninja style' swords could be bought “with ease” online.
Announcing the sentence in a historic first live televised hearing at the court, the judge also lifted the ban on publicly naming Ronan's killers, following an application from the Express &Star.
He told co-defendants Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill, both 17 and from Walsall, that if they had not been carrying weapons any confrontation would have been nothing more than a "scuffle".
Mr Justice Choudhury said: “Ronan was a normal 16-year-old boy. He had nothing to do with gangs, drugs, violence or weapons. He didn’t even have any issues with either of you.
“He was targeted by mistake.When you realised it was Ronan you had stabbed, instead of showing humanity you both ran, leaving your friend to die in the street.”
"The devastation caused by that cowardly attack, by stabbing him from behind, is hard to comprehend for his family. Their loss is incalculable. Nothing I do or say today can relieve their pain,” the judge added.
Mitigating for Veadhesa barrister Mr Adam Morgan said: “He is genuinely remorseful. It is something he will have to bear for the rest of his life.”
The pair were found guilty of murder in unanimous verdicts following a jury trial in May. They had previously pleaded guilty to possessing swords.
They were driving round the streets in search of an entirely different 16-year-old when they came across defenceless Ronan, who attend the same school, in front of them. Ronan was struck with a blade ordered over the internet in Mount Road, Lanesfield, on June 29 last year just yards from his front door.
The Liverpool fan was pronounced dead in the street yards from his Mount Road home at 8.30pm after being stabbed in the chest and side. Despite efforts of the emergency services he sadly died at the scene.
For murder Veadhesa, of Cairn Drive, Bentley, was sentenced to 18 years detention and Shergill, of Bewley Road, in Short Heath, Willenhall, to 16 years detention, both minus 375 days already served on remand. For possessing blades each was sentenced to eight years concurrently.
The two youths were driven to the scene in a red Corsa by Josiah Francis, 21, of Westcote Avenue, Northfield; and Joseph Whittaker, 18, of Raven Hays Road, Rubery, both in Birmingham, who found not guilty of murder, and not guilty of possessing blades. Both older men were completely cleared by the jury.
