Two men jailed following the murder of Josh Harling in Thame

Both men have today (26th February) been given prison sentences for their involvement in the death of Josh Harling in Thame last year.

At a trial lasting seven weeks at Oxford Crown Court Nathan Braim, aged 20, of Broadwaters Avenue, Thame, was convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years.

Benjamin Eyles, aged 19, of Monks Hollow, Marlow Bottom, was cleared of murder, but was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent.

He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

It's in relation to the incident in July last year when 19 -year-old Josh Harling was found in an upturned vehicle with serious injuries in Chinnor Road, Thame.

Initially it was believed to have been a road traffic collision, but Josh was found to have a knife wound to his chest caused by Nathan Braim in an earlier altercation.

Mr Harling drove away following the altercation and turned into Essex Road and then onto Chinnor Road.

He began to feel unwell and lost control of his car and collided with some parked vehicles before overturning onto the roof.

Despite the best efforts of medical professionals and members of the public, Mr Harling died at the scene.

Four days prior to the incident that led to Mr Harling’s death, Braim and Eyles had been looking for their victim in Elms Park, Thame, arriving at the park armed with long poles, and intending to cause him serious injuries.

They failed to locate Mr Harling on that occasion, and did not see him again until the night that he died

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Mike Roddy, of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, said:

“Braim and Eyles have now been sentenced to significant terms of imprisonment as a direct result of their actions both on 18 July and 22 July.

“This tragic incident resulted in the needless and senseless death of Josh Harling, a young man with his whole life ahead of him.

“Neither defendant has ever taken any responsibility for their actions that night of 22 July.

“Indeed Braim refused to co-operate with police at any stage, and has shown no remorse whatsoever.

“Eyles answered most of the questions officers put to him, but his account was often inconsistent and changed regularly, seemingly in a bid to evade justice, and the jury did not believe that he was telling the truth, and subsequently found him guilty of manslaughter.

“Their verdict was that Braim murdered Josh and Eyles, although not responsible for the fatal blow, was complicit in Mr Harling’s death and helped Braim to dispose of the weapon that had been used.

“We will probably never fully understand the reasons for the altercation on 22 July, nor the incident four days earlier in Elms Park. Braim and Eyles have never offered an explanation, and they will now both serve long prison sentences.

“Whatever the reasons, which only they will know, there was absolutely no justification for the violence that met Josh that night.

“Indeed, the very fact that Braim and Eyles had previously conspired with one another to cause Josh significant injury four days earlier shows that this was in no way a random attack, and was intended to cause him significant harm.

“There was clearly a background of animosity between two groups in Thame and this animosity was surrounding drug rivalries.

“But that can clearly be no excuse for the behaviour of Braim and Eyles. The violence seen that night was totally unacceptable.

“Josh’s family have had to endure an extremely difficult seven months of anguish.

“From the night they were first informed of Josh’s death, throughout our investigation, and to this trial and its conclusion, they have shown tremendous dignity, patience and bravery.

“To lose Josh has caused all of his family unimaginable suffering, and I hope that the fact that we have brought his killers to justice will serve as some form of solace.

“On behalf of myself, my investigation team and the whole of Thames Valley Police, I would like to again offer my sincere condolences.”

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Horsburgh, Head of Crime for the South Oxfordshire & Vale of White Horse Local Policing Area, said:

“This tragic incident shocked the community of Thame. This case highlights the dangers of being involved in the supply or consumption of drugs in the Thames Valley and across the country.

“This also highlights the serious risks that are involved in carrying any type of weapon.

“The simple fact is, if you carry a knife, you are putting yourself and others in danger.

“Thames Valley Police have a dedicated Violence Reduction Unit, which offers a mentoring scheme that supports young people who are risk or are currently within the criminal justice system.

“We understand as a force that we cannot fight serious violence and knife crime by enforcement only. We also need to educate, intervene and prevent crime in our communities.

“The local Thame community is a strong one, and one that will offer their support to Thames Valley Police to tackle such criminal activity.

“We will continue to work with our partners and our communities to stamp out violent crime of this nature.

“We would urge anybody who has any concerns or information that can help us to tackle knife crime to please report this to us.

“Our message is very clear to anybody who feels it is acceptable to carry a knife.

“It is never acceptable, in any circumstance. If you carry a knife, we will relentlessly pursue you, we will put you before a court, and you are likely to end up with a prison sentence.”