A 24-year-old Nigerian, Chukwuemeka Ahanonu, has received a life sentence for the drug-fueled murder of a woman in Leicester.
The incident occurred on June 24, 2025, when Ahanonu crashed his car while high on cannabis and subsequently assaulted 56-year-old Nila Patel on Infirmary Road.
Following a trial at Leicester Crown Court, he was convicted on Monday and sentenced the following day.
According to the police, Ahanonu had been driving dangerously around the city centre prior to the incident, swerving across lanes, running red lights, and veering towards pedestrians before crashing his vehicle.
After the crash, he fled the scene and attacked Patel, who had just alighted from a bus and was walking home.
At the time of his arrest, officers discovered he had been smoking cannabis, with dealer bags of the substance valued at over £3,000 and three iPhones recovered from his car.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, and assaulting an emergency worker after biting a female police officer.
Security personnel from the nearby Leicester Royal Infirmary restrained him until officers arrived, while medical staff treated Patel for severe injuries, including a fractured skull and brain trauma.
She died two days later, prompting his re-arrest on suspicion of murder on June 26, 2025.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Emma Matts, described the incident as “a horrific, violent and random attack” on an innocent woman.
“Ahanonu was unknown to the victim. She was simply walking home when she was subjected to this brutal assault,” Matts said, adding that CCTV footage of his driving before the crash was “frightening and disturbing.”
She also commended members of the public who intervened, noting that their swift actions in restraining the suspect and assisting the victim were crucial in securing justice.
In a separate development, two Ireland-based men, Francis Ogbuefi, 42, and Steven Silvester, 32, were sentenced to a combined 16 years in prison for their involvement in a global money laundering scheme.
According to Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the duo were prosecuted following an investigation by Ireland’s Garda National Economic Crime Bureau. Ogbuefi was handed a nine-year sentence, while Silvester received seven and a half years.
Authorities say the cases highlight growing concerns over transnational crimes involving some foreign nationals.
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