Notting Hill Carnival fugitive jailed for bus driver’s stab murder

A fugitive has been jailed for murdering his ex-girlfriend’s father after being caught at Notting Hill Carnival.

Transcript

00:00Those who saw this happen described the speed, the suddenness and the savagery of the attack.

00:06I add to this starting point of 25 years factors that make this murder even more serious.

00:12A plan to do harm given the earlier texts, your behaviour in the street where the Thomas family lived

00:18and the time you had to consider whether to approach Mr Thomas or not.

00:22You selected a totally unaware, blameless victim.

00:25This was in a residential area in front of members of the public at night.

00:29Their terror and shock was palpable to the court.

00:33You didn't stay at the scene having achieved your intention.

00:36You made off and you disposed of the murder weapon.

00:38You then evaded capture for a month, involved yourself in a car chase and then gave the false details.

00:45You were also a man with previous convictions for serious violent offences with weapons

00:49and you were driving whilst disqualified that night with a very large knife on you.

00:53Jurors were told how the defendant had been looking for the victim's daughter, who was

01:01of course also the defendant's ex-girlfriend, Karen Thomas, on the night of the murder.

01:08Williams went to Mr Thomas' home, looking for him or his daughter, but they were not in.

01:15As he was driving away, he spotted Mr Thomas walking home on Stoke Newington Common.

01:24At around 11pm, Mr Thomas, who had been married for 35 years, had finished a late shift as a bus driver

01:33and gone into Tesco for some food before heading home.

01:37Williams stopped the van, he was driving, in the middle of the road, got out and stabbed

01:44the grandfather five times.

01:48Miss Thomas said her father was a kind, gentle and loving man, who did not deserve to have

01:57his life taken in such a senseless way.

02:01Mr Thomas' sister, Blondelle Thomas, said her brother was a dedicated bus driver with go-ahead

02:08London and had been a prolific footballer who retired early due to injury.

02:17I will not add any sentence in relation to count two other than a concurrent sentence, as it

02:23is already reflected in the term that I must set, you having brought this knife to the scene

02:28of this murder.