Omari Lauder, 24, and drug dealer Mpho Obi, 23, have been jailed for life after murdering 16-year-old Terrell Marshall-Williams, in the West Midlands, in what a judge compared to an “execution”
Two men have been jailed for life for “executing” a 16-year-old boy with a ‘Rambo knife’ after ambushing him at a flat.
Terrell Marshall-Williams was stabbed eight times with the sinister blade during a frenzied attack at a property in Merry Hill, West Midlands, on September 18 last year. Despite the best efforts of paramedics he tragically died at the scene after suffering multiple wounds to his back, one of which nearly severed his spinal cord.
His killers Omari Lauder, 24, and drug dealer Mpho Obi, 23, have now been jailed for life to serve a minimum of 50 years. The pair denied murder and possessing an offensive weapon but were found guilty in May following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Sentencing Judge Michael Chambers KC said they had jointly carried out a ‘sickening’ five-minute attack after arriving at the property in taxis. He said: “It was a brazen attack akin to an execution and the operation from the arrival of the taxis to the time spent at the flat, which was approximately five minutes during which the victim was killed, suggests it needed a significant amount of planning.
“To say anything else flies in the face of the evidence heard in the trial. The only thing that went wrong was that Mr Marshall-Williams fought back and one of the two defendants then required treatment so instead of making their escape to Birmingham as planned, they had to go to hospital.”
Terrell’s mum Leigha Marshall had earlier broken down in court in front of her son’s killers as she read out a heartbreaking victim impact statement. She said: “I will never forget going to the scene and the sound of my own screams when I realised what had happened and that I may never see my beautiful son again.
“I saw him bleeding and realised I could do little to help him, later on when I viewed him at the hospital the colour had drained from his cheek as well as his life and soul. It was heartbreaking, challenging and traumatising. Having to tell my other kids what had happened to their brother as well, my youngest daughter is just nine and still finds it hard to process it.
“They and I should have had a life with him and what life I have now I often don’t think is worth living. My concentration is poor, my body and mind on edge, I worry about losing the other children and I have been unequivocally changed forever as he was part of my body and soul. Now everything is meaningless until the time comes for me when it might be time to meet Terrell again.”
The court heard the two defendants went to the flat, which was a known ‘crack den’, armed with a large Rambo knife. Terrell was already at the location with a friend. Following a ‘dispute over drugs’ they carried out the ‘ferocious’ attack on Terrell and left him to die. Lauder and Obi fled the scene but were tracked down after Lauder was injured when Terrell tried to fight back.
Police followed a trail of blood to Lauder’s front door in Darlaston, West Mids., where there were signs he had tried to administer first aid. He was arrested two days later at Walsall Manor Hospital where he had been seeking treatment – telling staff he had been chased by a dog and impaled himself on a fence.
CCTV also showed Lauder and Obi in the area discarding clothing, drugs and a mobile phone in a nearby field where the blood-stained Rambo knife was found. Officers seized Obi’s phone and discovered a message sent just after the murder where he boasted that he had stabbed someone.
Obi, of Merry Hil, was ordered to serve a minimum of 28 years while Lauder will have to spend at least 24 years behind bars.
Obi had admitted possessing with intent to supply both heroin and crack cocaine before trial while Lauder was found not guilty of the same charges.
Detective Inspector Dan Jarratt, of West Midlands Police, said: “No sentence will bring Terrell back, but we welcome today’s sentences and hope it goes some way towards helping his heartbroken family come to terms with what has happened and allow them to begin to rebuild their lives.
“They conducted themselves impeccably and with dignity throughout the trial. The investigation team worked tirelessly to secure justice for Terrell and the judge praised the hard work undertaken to gather the evidence to successfully convict these two men of murder. This case is yet another stark reminder of the deadly consequences of carrying knives. West Midlands Police is working tirelessly to tackle knife crime and I implore the public to work with us to achieve this.”
