The parents of a “gentle, caring” Wembley teenager fatally stabbed by his girlfriend’s brother have called for a “tougher stance” on knife crime after his killer was handed seven years.
Risaan Udayakumar, an 18-year-old civil engineering student, who lived with his parents in Wembley, died in hospital after being stabbed three times in the heart at his girlfriend’s detached home in Watford.
His 17-year-old killer, who was 16 at the time of the incident and cannot be named for legal reasons, fatally stabbed Risaan after finding him hiding in the property’s adjoining garage on July 10.
A jury found him guilty of manslaughter due to a loss of control but cleared him of murder.
In a statement his grieving parents said they did not attend the sentencing by “way of protest” at the “weak legal team” and that the sentence was “not proper justice for our innocent son”.
They said: “As a family we cannot put into words how completely devastated we are and how Risaan’s untimely and cruel death has impacted our lives. We have been robbed of so many dreams and memories and been left in utter shock and disbelief.”
They added: “We feel that a much tougher stance is needed around knife crime to send a stronger message to society.”
St Alban’s Crown Court heard that before 10pm on July 10, a member of the public called police after he discovered Risaan crouched in the corner of the garage with multiple stab wounds, following a disturbance.
The parents of the boy and his 19-year-old sister were away on holiday at the time of the killing but had left strict instructions that she and her brother were not to have friends over to the house.
Because of the parents’ “strict views” about relationships, their daughter had decided not to tell them that she was in a relationship with Risaan.
On July 10 she picked him up from Watford station and returned to her home.
She hid him in the garage when she heard her brother banging on the door shouting “Where is he?”
Michael Speak, prosecuting, said Risaan offered no resistance and only raised his arms to shield his face,
Risaan’s parent’s said their “ideal son” was “very family orientated and did not believe in violence.”
A spokesperson for the CPS said: “All of our charging decisions are based on whether there is a realistic prospect of conviction but the decision to convict lies with the jury. We respect their decision.
“Our thoughts remain with Mr Udayakumar’s family, we have met with them throughout the case and have offered to discuss their concerns.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here