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Two teenagers have received life sentences in youth detention after the fatal stabbing of Kamran Aman in a racially motivated attack. The 38-year-old victim was assaulted while delivering groceries to his mother’s residence in Barry, South Wales. Despite efforts to save him, Aman died from a stab wound to his heart and endured racist insults before, during, and after the assault.
The attackers, aged 17 and 16, were involved in an unprovoked and sustained assault. Marcus Staniforth, 17, who fetched a knife from a relative’s house during the attack, was given a 17-year sentence. His accomplice, whose identity is protected due to his age, received 15 years. Judge Mr Justice Griffiths described Staniforth as “a very dangerous man indeed,” noting his use of “exceptional violence for the most trivial of reasons,” and highlighted his attempt to destroy evidence with bleach. Addressing the younger defendant, the judge emphasized the deliberate and racially motivated nature of the attack, stating, “You instigated a deliberate, unprovoked, sustained, violent racist attack.”
The incident occurred just before midnight on June 30 as Aman parked on Barry Road near his mother’s home. Earlier that day, both youths had been consuming alcohol and behaving aggressively. The younger defendant displayed volatile behavior, including confronting a train conductor and threatening his cousin Staniforth. Observing Aman from a bedroom window, the teenager initiated the attack, first hurling racist abuse and attempting to enter the victim’s vehicle before assaulting him physically. Aman tried to defend himself during the brutal assault, which witnesses described as a “relentless” attack carried out by the teenagers “like a pack of animals.”
Staniforth then armed himself with a kitchen knife and resumed the assault, stabbing Aman multiple times. The victim collapsed at a neighbor’s doorstep, reporting to her, “I think I’ve been stabbed,” and pleading, “I can’t breathe.” Despite emergency medical treatment, including open-heart surgery, Aman’s wound was fatal. The attackers attempted to clean the knife with bleach before fleeing but were apprehended shortly afterward. Forensic evidence linked both boys to the crime scene: Staniforth’s DNA was found on the knife, and Aman’s blood was on the offenders’ clothing.
In court, Aman’s wife, Khaleela James, delivered a poignant impact statement describing the deep trauma their four-year-old daughter has experienced, including separation anxiety and panic attacks linked to the murder. She told the defendants, “There is a hole in our heart that can never be filled; a pain that will never go away,” lamenting the life-changing loss the family endures. Kamran Aman’s mother also expressed profound grief, explaining that the family is now fearful of returning to Barry due to concerns about further attacks.
The defense for the younger offender argued for a reduced sentence, citing a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD which affected his emotional maturity and perception during the attack. It was further claimed the teenager was not racist and had no knowledge that Staniforth would bring a knife to the scene or an intention to kill. The court mandated minimum terms require Staniforth to serve 16 years and 133 days before parole eligibility, while the younger defendant must serve 14 years and 133 days.
Aliya Mohammed, CEO of Race Equality First, commented on the sentencing, welcoming the court’s acknowledgment of the racial motivation behind the killing. She said, “Naming the racial element matters,” and explained that racist violence impacts entire communities, not just individuals. Mohammed emphasized the significance of the court taking racism seriously and extended condolences to Aman’s family during their devastating loss
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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