Mistaken Identity

At a glance

Two drug dealers have been each jailed For Life with a minimum term of 27 years for the murder of an aspiring lawyer in north-west London.

Sven Badzak, 22, was stabbed to death in a case of Mistaken Identity as he returned from A Trip to Waitrose on 6 February 2021.

He and a 16-year-old friend were attacked by a group of six men in Kilburn.

Rashid Gedel, 22, from Ilford, and Shiroh Ambersley, 22, from Wembley, were sentenced at the Old Bailey.

Speaking ahead of the sentencing, Mr Badzak's mother criticised the Metropolitan Police 's handling of the case.

Jasna Badzak, who was previously a protected witness in two trials of war criminals at The Hague , after fleeing her native Yugoslavia, said: " Putting criminals behind bars in The Hague was a piece of cake compared with dealing with the Metropolitan Police . "

Mr Badzak was repeatedly stabbed after falling to the ground, while his friend suffered multiple stab injuries but managed to run into a nearby supermarket for help.

Gedel and Ambersley were each cleared of attempted murder of the 16-year-old but both convicted of wounding with intent.

Anthony Orchard KC, prosecuting, said The Victims were targeted in a " gang-style attack" over what The Killers regarded as their drugs territory.

He told The Court during The Trial : " Neither victim was a Gang Member or associate.

" It appears they were the unfortunate victims of Mistaken Identity . "

Mr Badzak's mother Jasna Badzak watched the sentencing online and in A Witness statement read out loud, said her son was the " kindest person to walk the earth".

She Said : " For me Sven was everything, my reason To Live , my Only Child , More Than The Apple of my eye, My Love , my full support, my Best Friend . "

She earlier told Times Radio of her experience dealing with The Met Police: " It was horrendous for us, they were saying that it was gang-related violence, implying that Sven was a gangster. "

She added that it became a " problem" for police to get CCTV and they were " very reluctant to do that".

The mother of the 16-year-old said in A Witness statement her son had been " suffering mentally with PTSD, night terrors, flashbacks and has withdrawn completely socially".

Judge John Dodd KC called the eight-second attack " brutal and savage and swift".

Gedel and Ambersley were also jailed for 12 years to run concurrently for wounding with intent.

A third defendant, Harvey Canavan, 19, from Maida Vale , previously admitted manslaughter and unlawful wounding, while Lior Agbayan, 20, fled to the Ivory Coast and had not returned, jurors were told.

Canavan was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years for manslaughter and 15 months to run concurrently for unlawful wounding.

Two other suspects have not been identified, The Court heard.

A Met Police spokesperson said: " Officers have made A Number of arrests in addition to those charged with Mr Badzak's murder, The Inquiry continues. "

Source of news: bbc.com