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During sentencing, Judge Timothy Spencer KC addressed Dennis, who appeared in court wearing a dark suit, noting that he had developed a “seething resentment” towards the victim. The judge condemned Dennis’s actions, pointing out that he had brought a knife to the confrontation and used it repeatedly. “This was not a one-off thrust of the knife but five separate applications and it should have been obvious to you this carried a high risk of serious harm,” the judge observed. He further elaborated on the complicated background between Dennis and the victim, Khaleed Oladipo, stating, “You and Khaleed were certainly known to each other. You were probably, at times, pretty friendly.”
The judge emphasized that Dennis could not claim any moral high ground, explaining that Dennis had portrayed himself as wronged, but the underlying disputes stemmed from financial dealings linked to scams. “This money was designed to fund criminal activity,” the judge said, elaborating that the situation was exacerbated by Oladipo providing Dennis with a Rolex watch, which Dennis believed was partial compensation for his losses. However, the watch turned out to be counterfeit, which only deepened Dennis’s bitterness. Judge Spencer reminded both men that they had their futures ahead, but criticized Dennis’s violent actions, noting, “This is not a case of a single desperate stab wound – this is one of five thrusts of the knife. You knew you had something serious in mind because you covered your face immediately before.”
On the evening that Oladipo died, around 17:00 GMT, he left his girlfriend’s flat carrying a bag of leftover snacks while speaking to her on the phone as he walked back to his nearby accommodation, planning to watch football. Outside the De Montfort University Innovation Centre, Dennis appeared on CCTV pacing in the busy area, and within 30 seconds, the two men encountered each other, struggled, and Dennis left the scene shortly after. Oladipo’s girlfriend overheard him say, “why did you come up and stab me?” before asking her to call emergency services. A post-mortem revealed Oladipo had sustained six knife wounds, five to the chest—including one piercing the heart—and one to his thumb. Despite being rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary, he was pronounced dead just over an hour later.
In his defense, Dennis stated that he was “fearful” for his life when Oladipo approached him with a knife and claimed he was trying to wrestle the weapon away. During cross-examination, prosecutor Jane Osborne KC questioned whether Dennis knew he had stabbed Oladipo, to which Dennis replied, “I didn’t know and I didn’t know he was hurt, and I didn’t intend to cause any serious harm.” CCTV footage was presented showing the two men walking towards each other, with the prosecution suggesting Dennis used his hands to open a folding knife. Dennis denied possessing a knife and insisted he did not leave his accommodation carrying one. Osborne also pointed to the “bad feeling” between the two and suggested Dennis had armed himself beforehand intending to settle a dispute.
Dennis, a first-year business management student at the University of Leicester, described his interactions with Oladipo, who was in his third year at De Montfort University, involving discussions about money and fraudulent activities. He explained, “Khaleed initiated it – saying that there are ways you can make money, and with these methods you will gain large amounts of profit through it, through these websites.” Dennis said he sent Oladipo £6,000 from his savings and family contributions but never recovered the money. As part of their transactions, Oladipo gave him a Rolex watch, which Dennis was told was authentic and could recover his losses. However, after taking the watch to multiple jewellers in Hatton Garden, London, Dennis discovered it was a fake, leaving him feeling “annoyed” and “disappointed” by Oladipo’s actions. Dennis also admitted to struggling with a gambling addiction and revealed he had threatened to expose Oladipo online as untrustworthy and a “bad businessman.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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