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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Man jailed for footballer murder | Man jailed for footballer murder |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A man has been jailed for life for murdering a promising teenage footballer in a row over a girl. | A man has been jailed for life for murdering a promising teenage footballer in a row over a girl. |
| Triston Burke, 19, from Croydon, south London, admitted murdering Oliver Kingonzila, also 19, outside a Croydon bar in September 2008. | Triston Burke, 19, from Croydon, south London, admitted murdering Oliver Kingonzila, also 19, outside a Croydon bar in September 2008. |
| Burke used a knife hidden in a trainer to stab the former England youth player eight times, the Old Bailey heard. | Burke used a knife hidden in a trainer to stab the former England youth player eight times, the Old Bailey heard. |
| He will spend at least 14 years in jail for the "frenzied" and "indiscriminate" attack, Judge Martin Stephens said. | He will spend at least 14 years in jail for the "frenzied" and "indiscriminate" attack, Judge Martin Stephens said. |
| 'Gentle giant' | 'Gentle giant' |
| College student Mr Kingonzila, also from Croydon, who captained Barnet FC's under-19 football team, hoped for a professional football career. | College student Mr Kingonzila, also from Croydon, who captained Barnet FC's under-19 football team, hoped for a professional football career. |
| Described by friends as a "gentle giant", he had fled to the UK as a refugee with his family from the Democratic Republic of Congo. | Described by friends as a "gentle giant", he had fled to the UK as a refugee with his family from the Democratic Republic of Congo. |
| The court heard that he and Burke were friends but fell out when Mr Kingonzila's brother Christopher started dating Burke's ex-girlfriend. | The court heard that he and Burke were friends but fell out when Mr Kingonzila's brother Christopher started dating Burke's ex-girlfriend. |
| Triston Burke was filmed on CCTV as he fled the attack scene | |
| Burke, who had twice before threatened Mr Kingonzila with a knife, went to the E Bar in Croydon with a small kitchen knife hidden in his trainer on 13 September last year. | Burke, who had twice before threatened Mr Kingonzila with a knife, went to the E Bar in Croydon with a small kitchen knife hidden in his trainer on 13 September last year. |
| Mr Kingonzila at first walked away but Burke goaded him by saying: "Come on, do something," the court heard. | Mr Kingonzila at first walked away but Burke goaded him by saying: "Come on, do something," the court heard. |
| The footballer punched Burke in the face and he responded by stabbing Mr Kingonzila repeatedly, including twice in the face and once, fatally, to a major artery in his neck. | The footballer punched Burke in the face and he responded by stabbing Mr Kingonzila repeatedly, including twice in the face and once, fatally, to a major artery in his neck. |
| Prosecuting, Jeremy Donne QC said: "The defendant's use of the knife was so ferocious and indiscriminate that he actually stabbed and injured a friend who had tried to separate the two men." | Prosecuting, Jeremy Donne QC said: "The defendant's use of the knife was so ferocious and indiscriminate that he actually stabbed and injured a friend who had tried to separate the two men." |
| Burke was arrested after a trail of the blood, which matched his DNA, led police to a storm drain where the knife was found. CCTV footage showed Burke fleeing the scene. | Burke was arrested after a trail of the blood, which matched his DNA, led police to a storm drain where the knife was found. CCTV footage showed Burke fleeing the scene. |
| I am in anguish and my heart bleeds Oliver's mother, Caroline Kingonzila | |
| He pleaded guilty to murder at an earlier hearing. | He pleaded guilty to murder at an earlier hearing. |
| Sentencing, Judge Stephens said: "(Mr Kingonzila's) death has left his family, his community and his friends devastated and bereft. He was full of promise in many ways. | Sentencing, Judge Stephens said: "(Mr Kingonzila's) death has left his family, his community and his friends devastated and bereft. He was full of promise in many ways. |
| "He is no more, because of you and because of the misconceived belief prevalent among so many of today's youth that carrying a knife can in some ways be explained or even justified." | "He is no more, because of you and because of the misconceived belief prevalent among so many of today's youth that carrying a knife can in some ways be explained or even justified." |
| The court also heard that Mr Kingonzila's older brother Herve, 27, died from a heart attack in February last year while playing football. | The court also heard that Mr Kingonzila's older brother Herve, 27, died from a heart attack in February last year while playing football. |
| Their mother, Caroline Kingonzila, said in a statement: "I am in anguish and my heart bleeds. | Their mother, Caroline Kingonzila, said in a statement: "I am in anguish and my heart bleeds. |
| "We supported Oliver as best we could in the hope that he would become a professional footballer one day. | "We supported Oliver as best we could in the hope that he would become a professional footballer one day. |
| "This has all been taken away from us due to someone's act of savagery and brutality." | "This has all been taken away from us due to someone's act of savagery and brutality." |