A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the unprovoked murder of Okechukwu Iweha, a 46-year-old family man, near the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London. Devon Brown, 30, was convicted of using a machete to fatally stab Iweha on April 7, 2022. He will serve a minimum of 26 years before being eligible for parole.
During the sentencing at the Old Bailey, Judge Anuja Dhir KC highlighted Brown’s misguided motivation for the attack, which stemmed from a belief that Iweha was responsible for the theft of his bicycle and £10,000 in cash. Judge Dhir stated, “You were tragically mistaken in your belief that Mr Iweha was that man,” underscoring the senseless nature of the crime.
Brown was accompanied by Leandro Kaienga, 29, who was also involved in the incident. Video evidence presented to the jury showed Kaienga kicking away Iweha’s shoe and retrieving his own hat from the street shortly after the attack. Both men attempted to destroy evidence by discarding blood-soaked clothing and the weapon used in the assault in a nearby bin.
The court proceedings revealed that Brown had concealed a large machete within his clothing before confronting Iweha, who ultimately succumbed to a stab wound to the chest. Iweha’s body was discovered by a passing Uber driver after he was left dying on the pavement.
In an emotional victim impact statement, Iweha’s sister, Ojiugo Mukasa, expressed the profound grief and anger her family has endured following the murder. She described the loss as “cruel and inexplicable,” emphasizing the lasting trauma inflicted on her family. Mukasa addressed the defendants directly, questioning the motivations behind their actions and the devastation they caused: “You have devastated a life and broken a family for what?”
The judge condemned both men for failing to assist Iweha after the attack and for committing the crime of perverting the course of justice by disposing of the weapon. Brown had fled to the United States following the incident but was apprehended by the Metropolitan Police in Dallas, Texas, and extradited back to the UK in January 2023.
In addition to the murder conviction, Brown received concurrent sentences for perverting the course of public justice and possession of a knife blade. Kaienga also faced concurrent sentences for similar charges but was released after serving his time while on remand.
This tragic case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of violence and the importance of justice for victims and their families.
