A Bedford teenager's been jailed for 20 years for fatally stabbing a man
Jacob Zuco killed 20-year-old Leon Penman using a hunting-style knife
Last updated 18th Jun 2025
A 19-year-old has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years for the murder of a 20-year-old in Bedford in May last year.
The court heard how two incidents between the two men took place, the first in March 2024, when Zuco, 17-years-old at the time, wounded Leon Penman with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The second altercation between the two happened on May 24, 2024, when Zuco, on his bicycle, turned a hunting-style knife on Mr Penman, killing him with a single stab.
Mr Penman drove a car in the direction of Zuco, with what the judge said was intention to cause "at least serious harm".
Zuco then produced a knife and stabbed Mr Penman through the window, causing a fatal wound to his chest penetrating 20cm.
The incident was caught on CCTV and filmed on a mobile phone.
Zuco had acquired two of these knives with the help of an adult friend, which he hid from his parents under his bed.
His Honour Judge Michael Simon described them as "lethal both in size and in design".
Defence barrister Naeem Mian KC argued Zuco had no intention to kill and acted 'wholly out of character', in what he described as a 'fast-moving incident'.
Earlier this year, a jury rejected self-defence, finding him guilty of murdering Mr Penman.
Prosecutor Kate Blumgart KC said the victim was 'particularly vulnerable' due to a disability caused by Zuco in March 2024, when he stabbed him twice in the arm.
Prior to sentencing, referring to possession of a knife, the defence barrister said it is "sadly the reality of life I am afraid nowadays", adding that they had "all done cases in which young men put forward the assertion that they arm themselves out of fear".
The statement was countered by His Honour Judge Simon, who said: "It’s utterly unlawful and highly dangerous. They are far more likely to kill or be killed if they carry a knife.
"It’s delusional."
In a victim impact statement, Leon Penman's mother said: "When I sat down to write this I found myself wanting to express to everyone how hurt I am and find a way for everyone to understand how much qwe all miss Leon and his infectious, funny, loving character, but in all honesty I don’t think I’ll ever be able to dins the words to explain."
"My life and how it has changed is hard to put into words, everyday seems that it’s a different battle to face, internally and externally.
"There shouldn’t be a life without him in it and his loved ones shouldn’t have to move forward without him but this is now the consequence that we all have to suffer.
"I no longer feel like the same person I was before losing Leon."
Leon's partner went on to say: "The day Leon was taken from us was the day our lives changed forever.
"No words could ever describe the pain and devastation of losing Leon. Our family will never be the same again.
"Leon had his whole life ahead of him, and that was taken away from him, and all we are left with is memories and a grave.
"Two little girls are now growing up without their Daddy, a mother and father without their son."
Jacob Zuco, who was 18-years-old at the time of the killing, sat in the dock looking ahead, dressed in a suit with a full public gallery to his left.
Sentencing Zuco, His Honour Judge Michael Simon said: "This case is a good example of why young men who seek to justify the carrying of a knife as being for personal protection are both deluding themselves and putting members of the public at risk.
"The experience of court is that, by carrying a knife in public, you are in fact more likely to kill or be killed, especially when the knife involved is a hunting-style knife, lethal both in size and design.
"It is time for society as a whole to take a stand against the scourge of knives in the hands of children and young people and to promote the mantra of Lives not Knives.
"In this specific case, if it be true that an adult friend bought a knife for the defendant, who was under 18, not once but twice, that person bears a very heavy moral responsibility for the death of the victim in this case."
He was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years, with 18 years and 342 days left to serve after spending one year and 23 days on remand.