Man jailed for role in bus station killing of teen

A man who helped to carry out a revenge attack that led to a teenage boy's murder has been jailed.

Thomas Taylor, 17, was stabbed to death outside Bedford bus station on 8 January 2025 as part of a feud between rival groups.

He had been spotted with two others by Ahmed Adam, who led Thomas's murderer towards him, shortly before 18:00 GMT.

Adam, 20, of Falconer Crescent, Leicester, admitted manslaughter and was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison.

He entered the plea during a retrial at Luton Crown Court, where a jury had earlier failed to reach a verdict on the murder charge in August.

Adam was sentenced on Tuesday, having also admitted conspiracy to rob during a separate incident in Bedford - while he was on bail - on 20 November.

For that he was sentenced to an additional 20 months which will run consecutively to his manslaughter sentence.

The stabbing, carried out by Bennett Ndenkeh, 20, was planned in retaliation for an assault on 18-year-old Riaz Miah days before, by someone linked to Thomas.

Adam spotted Thomas in Greenhill Street and called out to Ndenkeh and Miah, leading to a confrontation, Bedfordshire Police said.

Seconds later, Ndenkeh pulled out a 10-inch (25cm) blade and stabbed his victim.

He was later convicted of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years in custody, while Miah was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years.

In a statement read to the court, Thomas's grandmother said: "He had a lifetime of memories still left to make. That was all taken away in moments of senseless violence.

"The ripple effect of what was done to him has destroyed so many lives. Knife crime does not end with the victim, it spreads through an entire family."

His aunt also described the former King's Oak primary school pupil as a "kind, funny and loyal young man".

Det Ch Insp Richard Stott, who led the murder investigation, said the family had shown "extraordinary strength" in their wait for justice.

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