The jury in the re-trial of a man who was accused of murdering Antoin Akpom have found him not guilty of murder and have failed to reach a verdict on manslaughter charges.
Adbul Hakim (20) of Wood Hill, Spinney Hill, will not face a third trial.
Another man, Hussein Hussein (19) of no fixed abode was convicted of the murder of Antoin Akpom on April 15 2014 following a 12 day trial at Stafford Crown Court.
He was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to serve a minimum of 15 years before he is considered for parole. On Tuesday June 24, the Court of Appeal increased his life sentence to 22 years.20-year-old Antoin Akpom was stabbed during an altercation in Kent Street on the evening of Thursday September 12, 2013. A post mortem examination confirmed he died from a single stab wound to the back.
Detective Superintendent Kate Meynell, who led the investigation, said: “The last ten months understandably have been extremely difficult for Antoin’s family. We acknowledge the decision of the jury today but hope Antoin’s family can take some strength from the fact that a man has been convicted of his murder and is serving a long sentence.“Antoin was a much loved member of his family and at the time of his death he was mentoring countless numbers of young people and actively campaigning in the community against violence.
“This has been a tragic case to investigate and I want to thank the family for their patience and all those involved in the investigation for all their hard work, dedication and professionalism during this difficult enquiry. I would also like to thank members of the community for their support, and those who gave information to the investigating team or evidence in court evidence.
“The investigation didn't find any evidence that the offence was motivated by gang affiliation. Antoin was not a member of a gang.”
*Statement released on behalf of Cheryl Armatrading Mother of Antoin Uchechukwu Akpom;*
Antoin was a wonderful son, a loving partner and a doting father. His death at the young age of 20 has been a devastating blow to his family and has had a huge impact on the community. We have lost a positive young role model down to a pointless killing and every day we live with the pain of this nightmare.
We must remember the amazing person Antoin was... A lover of sports, music and young people. He was able to combine his love for sports and young people to create his business in which his slogan was “ Challenging behaviours, Changing lives”. He was able to implement positivity into so many young lives using coaching and mentoring, both paid and unpaid.
Antoin had a contagious smile and a zest for life. We would often joke about him being an “old soul” as whilst many young men lived out their days young free and single, Antoin would spend most of his time with his finance and son planning out his next business move!
The Attorney General Dominic Grieve felt that the sentence given to the co-defendant, Hussain Hussain, who was found guilty of murder in the original trial, was unduly lenient and he referred the matter to the appeal court. The court, led by Lady Justice Macur, upheld the bid and increased the life sentence. We note also that the court acknowledged and highlighted the fact that Antoin was a respected member of the community and had no links to gangs.
Antoin's family would like to thank all those involved in honouring his memory and supporting his young family, including those that organised vigils and events in Leicester and around the country after his death. The schools that have created “Awards of Excellence in Sports” in his name, those that have placed plaques in his memory, and the hundreds of people that have been showing their love, support, generosity and appreciation to his family.Even in death Antoin has brought together and united so many people around Leicester and in November we will celebrate his legacy and a foundation will be launched in his Honour. Nothing will bring my son back but it has been so uplifting to see so many people working hard to ensure that his death was not in vain and that the good work he started continues.We must continue to come together as a community to ensure that no other family would have to stand in this very spot. We must invest our time and love into educating these young men who feel the need to carry weapons. No other family should feel such a loss and emptiness, no other innocent child left fatherless.Again we would like to thank everyone for their continued support
Thank you
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