Cannabis Killer Jailed for Life Over "Merciless" Street Murder

Cannabis-fuelled killer who flipped car then targeted lone passer-by is caged for life after jury rejected diminished responsibility defence in Leicester Crown Court.

A drug dealer who carried out a sustained and fatal street attack on a woman moments after crashing his car has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and six months for murder at Leicester Crown Court.

Chukwuemeka Michael Ahanonu, 24, of Dover Street, Leicester, was sentenced on Tuesday after a jury convicted him of murdering 56-year-old Nila Patel in Infirmary Road on 24 June 2025.

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Passing sentence, Judge Timothy Spencer KC told the defendant: “You murdered a wholly innocent woman. It was shocking, brutal and merciless.”

The court heard Ahanonu launched a prolonged and violent attack on Ms Patel, punching, kicking and stamping on her “with full force” after fleeing from his overturned vehicle near the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

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Ms Patel had been travelling on a bus and, having witnessed the collision, got off and began walking home before encountering Ahanonu, who was unknown to her.

She sustained a fractured skull and catastrophic brain injuries and died in hospital two days later.

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Judge Spencer said he was satisfied the victim had been deliberately targeted, adding: “You were angry, you were looking for a victim. You selected her, in my judgment, because of three things.”

He identified those as her gender, her physical stature, and her race, stating: “In an unguarded moment, you talked about ‘dirty Asians’.”

Ahanonu denied murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, a position rejected by the jury following a month-long trial.

He was also convicted having previously admitted dangerous driving, possession with intent to supply Class B drugs, and assault of an emergency worker after biting a female police officer following his arrest.

He was found not guilty of a separate allegation of common assault relating to an incident involving a woman known to him in London earlier on the same day.

The court heard that in the minutes before the killing, Ahanonu had driven through Leicester city centre in a highly dangerous manner, swerving across lanes, travelling through traffic lights and towards pedestrians.

CCTV evidence showed him mounting a kerb near a bus stop before driving onto the wrong side of the road near an ambulance entrance to the Leicester Royal Infirmary, where he crashed through railings and overturned the vehicle.

Members of the public initially approached the car to assist, but Ahanonu freed himself and ran from the scene before carrying out the fatal assault.

Following his arrest, officers recovered dealer bags of cannabis valued at more than £3,000 along with multiple mobile phones. Testing carried out hours after the incident showed a THC level of 7.6 micrograms, significantly above the legal limit of 2 micrograms.

The court was told Ahanonu had been engaged in a “significant” drugs operation, claiming to earn up to £10,000 a month, while also receiving universal credit.

He had been released from prison on licence in July 2024 after serving part of a two-year sentence imposed in 2023 when he was found in possession of more than £1,000 in cash and a machete after driving through a red light.

During police interview, Ahanonu stated he could recall the collision but not the attack. His counsel, Paul Raudnitz KC, told the court the defendant was “shocked” when he later saw footage of what he had done and wished to express “his sincere apologies”.

Rejecting that account, Judge Spencer said: “I’m quite satisfied you retain much more memory of this attack than you have ever had the courage to admit.”

In victim impact statements read to the court, Ms Patel’s son and daughter addressed the defendant directly. Her son said: “Nine months ago today you murdered our mother,” adding: “The pain of losing her in this way is impossible to accept.”

Her daughter said she would “never be able to make sense of” the attack, adding: “My mum was the most important person in my life. Losing her in such a violent and senseless way has shattered my world.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Emma Matts said: “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 woman who was simply making her way home.”

She added that CCTV evidence documenting the defendant’s driving and the events leading up to the attack had been central to the investigation and prosecution.