Lakeside: Man who murdered stranger over flirting comment jailed

A man who stabbed a father-of-three to death at a shopping centre "over a throwaway flirtatious comment" has been given a life sentence.

Michael Ugwa, 29, was killed in the food hall at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex in April last year.

Muhammad Khan, 24, of no fixed abode, Ilford, east London, was jailed for 27 years for his murder.

His trial heard he chased Mr Ugwa after the victim made "admiring comments" about his friend's girlfriend.

Sentencing Khan at Basildon Crown Court, Judge Samantha Leigh said he was ultimately killed "over a throwaway flirtatious comment".

Brandon Lutchmunsing, 21, of Grafton Road, Dagenham, east London, was found guilty of manslaughter and affray following the same trial and jailed for 13 years.

His then-girlfriend, Shannon Weston, 21, of Paddocks Close, Canewdon, Essex, was found guilty of three counts of assisting an offender and sentenced to two years, but suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

"My family has been shattered by this senseless act of violence," said Mr Ugwa's mother, Lauretta, speaking after the sentencing.

The trial heard Mr Ugwa, from Rainham, was with a friend when they passed the three defendants at about 16:30 BST on 28 April.

The two groups were not known to each other.

Mr Ugwa defended himself with chairs as the two men chased him around the busy food hall - including in front of a woman and her infant children - before Khan stabbed him in the chest.

Shoppers rushed to help him but he died from catastrophic bleeding.

The two attackers, wearing balaclavas, were driven from the scene by Weston.

Judge Leigh was told Khan earlier made a comment he "felt like killing someone" having argued with his girlfriend that day.

In a statement, Mr Ugwa's mother recalled how the family discovered the victim's identity after seeing a video on Snapchat.

Mr Ugwa's two sons, aged seven and eight, were in shock and suffering nightmares, while his two-year-old daughter does not understand he "isn't coming" home - his mother said.

She said he was "compassionate" and added: "Even in the face of death he begged them to calm down when he saw how scared the children and their families were at the sight of a knife being drawn."

Defence barristers pointed out that Lutchmunsing was not holding a knife and had mental health difficulties and that Khan lacked maturity.

Weston's barrister said she had a "difficult upbringing" and was "effectively homeless" at the time.

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