Bushey Murder: Dequarn Williams Jailed for Life Over Vu Lounge Stabbing

A 26-year-old man from north-west London has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years for the murder of a man outside a Hertfordshire restaurant.

Dequarn Williams, of Sancroft Close, Cricklewood, was handed the life sentence at St Albans Crown Court on Monday, June 22, 2026, following his conviction on June 17 for the fatal stabbing of 32-year-old Jeyanthan Ramachanthran.

The emergency services had originally been called to reports of a knife attack just after 11:30 PM on Saturday, November 29, 2025, outside the Vu Lounge on Bushey High Street, where responding police officers and paramedics discovered Mr Ramachanthran suffering from severe injuries.

Although he was swiftly transported to a hospital for emergency treatment, he succumbed to his wounds a short time later, initiating a murder investigation by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.

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During the sentencing hearing, the court received a moving victim impact statement from Mr Ramachanthran’s wife, Thinuba, who described her late husband as a wonderful person with a generous spirit.

She stated that there were no words she could say that would truly capture the depth of what had been so cruelly stolen from her, adding that no verdict or sentence could ever bring her husband back or undo the permanent damage inflicted upon their family.

The court had previously heard that Williams fled the scene of the stabbing prior to the arrival of emergency personnel, resulting in his arrest the following day, Sunday, November 30, 2025.

A woman in her 30s was also arrested at the time on suspicion of assisting an offender, though she was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing and faced no further action following thorough police inquiries.

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Speaking directly after the life sentence was passed down by the judge, Detective Inspector Lee Martin, from the Major Crime Unit, condemned the lethal violence displayed by the defendant.

Detective Inspector Martin stated that violent behavior of this nature has absolutely no place within the community, noting that the substantial sentence delivered by the court directly reflects the extreme seriousness of Williams's actions.

He concluded by acknowledging that while no prison term could ever reverse the tragic harm caused or alleviate the profound grief felt by Mr Ramachanthran's loved ones, the minimum 20-year term ensures that Williams will spend a significant period of his adult life behind bars as a direct consequence of his criminal choices.