An 18-year-old man has been sentenced after being found guilty of murder following a stabbing in the Highfields area of Leicester last year.
Ishaq Hassanjee was convicted today (Friday 22 January) following a trial at Leicester Crown Court.
He was sentenced to custody for life, and must serve a minimum of 19 years. He pleaded guilty to possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place at the start of the trial.
Shortly before 2.30am on Saturday 18 July, police were called to Bartholomew Street following a report a man had been stabbed.
Officers were immediately deployed to the scene and spotted Hassanjee, of Bartholomew Street, nearby. As he had blood on his clothing, he was promptly arrested.
Despite the courageous efforts of police and colleagues from the East Midlands Ambulance Service the victim – 19-year-old Hassan Jama – died in nearby Myrtle Road a short time later.
Following Hassanjee’s arrest, a search of the area led to two knives being recovered, both of which had blood on them. One knife was found near to Mr Jama in Myrtle Road, while another was found hidden in an alleyway in Bartholomew Street.
As enquiries continued, officers from the East Leicester Neighbourhood Policing Area (NPA) distributed leaflets appealing for information, printed in English, Somali, Gujarati and Punjabi. Extra patrols were also in operation to provide reassurance to the Highfields community.
A number of witnesses were spoken to who reported hearing an altercation in the street. Some said they saw Hassanjee lunge towards Mr Jama, who then shouted to Hassanjee as he fled on foot.o
They reported that Mr Jama ran to Myrtle Road, but collapsed as a result of the fatal injury he sustained.
Detective Inspector Nicole Main, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) major crime team, was the senior investigating officer. She said:
“First and foremost I would like to say that my thoughts today very much remain with Mr Jama’s family and loved ones.
“While I know that today’s outcome will not bring back a loving son and brother, I hope the verdict reached by the jury and sentenced handed down to Hassanjee will go some way to allowing the family to move forward and continue their grieving process
“This horrific crime also had a significant impact on residents within the Highfields community and I hope they too can take reassurance from today’s outcome.
“I would like to take the opportunity to thank my colleagues in force who were quick to arrive on the scene, resulting in Hassanjee being arrested almost immediately. I would also like to thank officers and staff from across the region who assisted with our subsequent enquiries that meant he has today been brought to justice.”
As part of the investigation, a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in Gloucester on 19 July. He was later released with no further action.
Leicestershire Police News 22/01/21