Teens jailed for killing Afghan refugee in mistaken identity

Two 18-year-olds who fatally stabbed a boy in a case of mistaken identity in west London have been given life sentences.

They thought 16 year-old Rishmeet Singh was from a rival gang when they attacked him in a park in Southall in 2021.

Vanushan Balakrishnan and Ilyas Suleiman will serve at least 45 years behind bars.

"Rishmeet was an innocent, young 16-year-old who had his whole life ahead of him."

Detective Inspector Laura Semple, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said:

“Rishmeet was an innocent, young 16-year-old who had his whole life ahead of him. He had just spent an enjoyable evening with his friends and was making the short walk home when he was callously chased down and knifed to death by Balakrishnan and Suleiman. Between them, they stabbed him 15 times while he was defenceless on the floor. There is never an excuse to murder someone in cold blood, but this case is made even more tragic by the fact that Rishmeet was wrongly targeted by his attackers.

“Balakrishnan and Suleiman left the flat that day with the intention of ending someone’s life. Poor Rishmeet was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time. My thoughts remain with Rishmeet’s family and friends, who have shown extraordinary courage throughout, including during the trial where they were forced to re-live Rishmeet’s horrific last moments."

Rishmeet came to the UK in October 2019 with his mother and grandmother to seek asylum from Jalalabad in Afghanistan. His father was killed by the Taliban six months prior to that, and shortly after they tried to kidnap Rishmeet – forcing the family to flee to the UK.

"I feel I have lost everything and my life is over."

In a statement, Rishmeet’s mother Gulinder said:

“Rishmeet was my only child, and he had his whole life ahead of him. No words could ever explain or put into context how I have felt since Rishmeet was taken from us. He has been raised with so much love and now he’s gone. I am struggling to understand as to how and why this happened to my baby boy. I feel I have lost everything and my life is over.

“I will never get over losing him in this way. I will not see him grow up into a young man. I will not see him leave college. I will not see him fulfil his aspirations. I will not see him learn to drive. I will not see him fall in love and get married. I will not become a grandmother and see my son grow old. I have been robbed of so many future events.

“Rishmeet was attending college completing a Public Service course and his ambition was to become a police officer, all he wanted to do was to help people. Rishmeet was well loved by all that knew him, he was a faithful boy and was very caring in his nature.

“I have lost my husband and now I have lost my only child, my son. Justice is finally served for Rishmeet but their sentence will never be enough for me. They have taken my whole life away from me and Rishmeet will never come home again.”

The court heard that at about 21:00hrs on 24 November 2021, Rishmeet had just left his friends after enjoying a pleasant evening in the park in Southall and was walking home when he saw two unknown males running towards him.

Rishmeet immediately ran back towards his friends and shouted ‘run, run.’

Rishmeet ran down Raleigh Road, in Southall, where he tripped and fell. One of his pursuers then stabbed him at least five times in the back. Seconds later, the second male also began to stab Rishmeet – at least 10 times.

His attackers then fled, leaving his bloodied and injured body on the ground.

The whole attack, from when Rishmeet tripped, lasted 27 seconds.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service scrambled to the scene after receiving a 999 call from a member of the public, but despite their best efforts Rishmeet died at the scene at 22:08hrs.

"This case is yet another tragic example of the needless loss of a young teenager"

In a televised sentencing at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, Judge Sarah Munro KC locked up the defendants for life.

Suleiman was handed a minimum term of 21 years and Balakrishnan at least 24 years.

Balakrishnan was also detained at his majesty's pleasure for a minimum concurrent term of four years for a second offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He had admitted attacking a fellow inmate at a young offenders institute while on remand, leaving the victim with severe brain damage.

Judge Munro said: "This case is yet another tragic example of the needless loss of a young teenager following a violent stabbing on the streets of London.

"This case is the more tragic because Rishmeet was an entirely innocent victim.

"He was described as a good person who would not hurt a fly. He was never involved in any kind of violence.

"It defies belief you two sought him out to kill him."

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