Fatal Attack Following Car Crash
A drug dealer who crashed a vehicle and subsequently killed a female pedestrian by stamping on her head has been convicted of murder.
Chukwuemeka Ahanonu assaulted 56-year-old Nila Patel, a stranger, near Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) on 24 June last year.
The 24-year-old, originally from Peckham in south-east London, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder, citing diminished responsibility.
At Leicester Crown Court on Monday, a jury found Ahanonu guilty of murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday.
Details of the Incident
Minutes before the attack, Ahanonu, residing on Dover Street, Leicester, had crashed his car after driving erratically and dangerously around the city centre. His driving included swerving across lanes and running through traffic lights.
Security personnel from LRI restrained Ahanonu until police arrived, while medical staff attended to Patel.
Patel sustained severe injuries, including a fractured skull and brain injury, and died in hospital two days later.
Following his arrest at the scene, authorities discovered that Ahanonu had been smoking cannabis and possessed dealer bags of cannabis in his vehicle, according to Leicestershire Police.
Background and Legal Proceedings
The trial revealed that at the time of the attack, Ahanonu was out on licence from a 24-month prison sentence for offences including possession of a bladed article and breaching a suspended sentence order.
Regarding the events on the day Patel was fatally injured, the court heard that Ahanonu admitted to dangerous driving, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, and assaulting an emergency worker.
He chose not to give evidence in his defence concerning the murder charge. However, during police interviews, Ahanonu stated he could only recall the collision and not the subsequent attack on Patel.
Official Statements
Detective Inspector Emma Matts commented on the case:
"Ahanonu was unknown to Ms Patel. After crashing his vehicle, he ran from the scene, violently attacking Ms Patel.
"This was the most horrific, violent and random attack by a stranger on a kind, gentle and loving woman, who was simply making her way home.
"It is hard to imagine what Ms Patel went through in those moments.
"My thoughts continue to remain with her and with her family and friends, who have suffered and continue to suffer the most horrendous distress and pain."
Tributes from Family
Patel's son and daughter, Jaidan and Danika Patel, paid tribute to their mother:
"She was quiet, gentle, funny, kind, loving and deeply caring. She always put others before herself and she never expected anything in return.
"Mum still had so much life ahead of her. She should have had the chance to grow old, to enjoy retirement, to become a grandmother and to celebrate many more milestones with her family. All of those moments have now been taken away from her - and from us.
"We will carry mum's love, her guidance, her kindness and the memory of who she was with us every day for the rest of our lives, and we will never stop wishing the world could have had more of her in it."
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