‘Cowardly’ killers in knife murder locked up for life
THREE “cowardly” murderers have been locked up for life for a vicious knife attack which killed a 20-year-old man in a residential street in Cardiff.
Drug dealer Daniel Roberts, his flatmate Christopher Griffiths and driver Awez Jamshaid were all handed life sentences for the murder of Malaciah Thomas, which has left his family devastated.
In a victim impact statement read out at Cardiff Crown Court, his sister, Ashanti Thomas, said it was “impossible” to describe the effect the killing had had on the family.
The incident happened in Holmesdale Street and Corporation Road in Grangetown just before 2am on July 23 last year. She said her brother was killed two days before his 21st birthday, and instead of celebrating together the family was mourning his death.
She said: “It is impossible to describe the effect the murder has had on my mum and me. We want to just remember Malaciah as he was.
“All we can say about those who took Malaciah’s life is that they are cowards. They only had one intention.
“Malaciah was not brought up to be a coward. He was brought up to defend himself and look after others.”
Roberts, 20, who does not have a permanent address, initially denied murder, but changed his plea partway through the trial.
The court heard he had previous convictions, but prosecutor Patrick Harrington QC said they “paled into insignificance” compared to the murder.
His barrister, Richard Jory QC, suggested his client showed “genuine remorse” by entering a guilty plea, and asked the judge to take his age into consideration.
He told the court Roberts was born in Jamaica and moved to Wales when he was one, but had a “difficult childhood” and was bullied at school.
Mr Jory said: “He suffered at the hands of both parents. His father would get angry over nothing and beat him. His mother would hit him with a stick.”
The court heard he was placed in foster care, but continued to struggle at school and often skipped class. He later worked as a labourer and “sofasurfed” with friends.
Mr Jory said Roberts had been in a relationship with Naomi Davies for about two weeks before the incident and believed her relationship with Mr Thomas was over.
Mrs Justice Nerys Jefford found he and Griffiths decided to “sort the problem” of Mr Thomas and Ms Davies. She told him: “Your whole attack was the product of jealous rage.”
Griffiths, 30, from Newport Road in Roath, denied murder but was found guilty by a jury after trial.
Prosecutors said he had “a number” of previous convictions, which were not relevant to the sentencing.
Christopher Clee QC, for Griffiths, said: “He is older than the others. He should have known better.”
Jamshaid, 19, from Moore Close in Ely, also denied murder and was found guilty by the jury. The court heard he had one previous conviction for driving while under the influence of drugs.
David Elias QC, for Jamshaid, argued his client’s young age was a key mitigating feature, along with his
lack of relevant previous convictions.
He told the court Jamshaid “studied hard” until he was 18 and then got a job straightaway, but started smoking cannabis and was soon using £60 worth a day.
He added: “It seems that his addiction to cannabis has led to his involvement in all of this.”
The judge noted Jamshaid and Shahzad had never been in trouble until they started using cannabis, got into debt, and then started working for Roberts as driver and drugs runner.
Shahzad, 19, from Fidlas Road in Cyncoed, denied murder and was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. The court heard he had no previous convictions.
Louise Sweet QC, for Shahzad, argued: “I do say that his role is minimal.”
Mrs Justice Jefford noted he put the radio on after the attack, went home and got a good night’s sleep, then went shopping the next day and bought a PlayStation.
The judge found Jamshaid intended to cause Mr Thomas really serious harm, not to kill him, while Shahzad intended him some harm.
More than 30 people packed into the public gallery for the hearing and more chairs had to be added.
In her sentencing remarks, Mrs Justice Jefford described the attack as “ferocious”, “persistent” and “vicious”.
She described the CCTV as “terrifying” and added: “It was a calculated assault and one of obvious rage. Mr Thomas did not stand a chance.”
Roberts was sentenced to custody for life with a minimum term of 25 years. Griffiths was sentenced to life imprisonment with the same minimum term.
Jamshaid was sentenced to custody for life with a minimum term of 11 years. Shahzad was sentenced to seven years and six months in a young offender institution.
Chief investigation officer Detective Inspector Gareth Morgans gave a statement on the steps of the court after the sentencing.
He said: “Malaciah Thomas was tragically stabbed to death just two days before his 21st birthday. The tragic case sadly highlights the devastating and far-reaching consequences of knife crime.”
He added: “In the early hours of Monday, July 23, 2018, four young men left an address in Roath and drove to Grangetown. Two of them were armed with knives, four of them knew the objective was to attack Malaciah Thomas.
“Following a thorough investigation and trial here at Cardiff Crown Court, they have been convicted and will spend a significant part of their lives in prison.
“Response from the community throughout the investigation was extremely positive and we thank those who provided evidence and information, including CCTV, and showed great strength in coming forward to give evidence in this trial.
“South Wales Police is committed to tackling knife crime by preventing people carrying these weapons and robustly dealing with people who we find involved in such criminality. My condolences go to Malaciah Thomas’ family and friends.”