for 23 year old Kanyanta Mulenga from Putney
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Today Judge Peter Rook sentenced Mulenga to life imprisonment for the murder of former heavyweight champ James Oyebola. Yesterday the Old Bailey jury heard how Mulenga, who had denied murder, fired at Mr Oyebola, 46, after he asked a group of men to stop smoking.
Mulenga (pictured left) then fired off four shots with a converted replica Baikal automatic pistol. Two bullets hit Mr Oyebola - one caused superficial injuries to his right calf the other entering the back of his neck, piercing a major vessel supplying blood to the brain.
He died in hospital four days later without regaining consciousness.
| "We do not hate this young man .... on the contrary we feel sorry for both him and his family." Statement from Mr Oyebola's family |
Judge Rook warned Mulenga that he faced life imprisonment. The jury heard that Mulenga had been jailed for 30 months in September 2005 for possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply, the court heard. |
James was known as 'Big Bad' because of his 6ft 9" frame but his friends described him as a gentle giant. Born in Nigeria he represented England in the 1986 Commonwealth Games where he lost to Lennox Lewis. He won 18 of his 23 professional fights before retiring in 1996.
October 10, 2008