Nasir Patrice: Teen jailed over Leamington Spa sword death
A 17-year-old boy who used a sword to kill a rival gang member has been jailed for 10 years.
Nasir Patrice, 17, of Birmingham, died in Tachbrook Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, on 15 January 2020. The defendant from London, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was cleared of murder, but convicted of manslaughter. Jurors at Warwick Crown Court also found him guilty of perverting the course of justice and wounding. The trial heard the defendant claimed to have acted in self-defence during the stabbings, when intruders linked to a Birmingham-based gang entered a flat. Mr Patrice suffered four stab wounds and was declared dead shortly after paramedics arrived at the scene. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Turner accepted the 17-year-old, who was 16 at the time, had not struck the first blow. He told the defendant at least one of them had a knife but "what followed went far beyond the bounds of reasonable self-defence". He added the boy had "set about the victims with relentless and grossly disproportionate violence". The court heard the 17-year-old had previous convictions for threatening someone with and possession of an offensive weapon. He was told he must serve half of his 10-year term of youth detention before he is likely to be freed. Three other members of the London-based county lines "syndicate" pleaded guilty before the trial to doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice. Richard Talawila, 19, from Harrow, William Hutsch, 18, from Greenwich and Abraham Kombey, 19, from Erith, were given two-year sentences and are likely to be released immediately due to time served on remand. Det Ch Insp Caroline Corfield said the case was a "very stark reminder of the devastating effects" of knife crime. She added: "So many lives have been devastated by this case but my thoughts remain with the family of Nasir." Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service