Two teenagers found guilty of murder in Luton double stabbing

Two teenagers involved in a double stabbing that left a man dead and a woman hospitalised have been found guilty of murder.

The 17-year-old boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were convicted on Thursday (March 28) at Guildford Crown Court in connection with the murder of 38-year-old Omar Khan, who was stabbed to death in September last year.

On the day of the incident, emergency services were called to Tenth Avenue, in the Sundon Park area of Luton, just before 2am to reports of two people suffering serious knife injuries. 

Mr Khan was pronounced dead at the scene an hour later.

A post-mortem revealed he had sustained a fatal stab wound to the abdomen, as well as knife-related injuries to his arm and back.

The surviving victim was taken to hospital and later underwent surgery for life-changing injuries.

During the trial, the court heard how Mr Khan and the woman had gone to meet the teenagers in Sundon Park Parade. Minutes later the two boys were seen running from the scene.

After launching a murder investigation, detectives from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit were able to link the boys to the crime through CCTV, forensic and phone evidence.

Both boys were also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH).

One of them pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in a public place before the trial began. They both admitted to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, and one admitted to being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs.

They are due to be sentenced in May.

Major Crime Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, who led the investigation, said: "The violent death of a man, and two teenagers now facing life imprisonment for his murder, is incredibly tragic.

"Carrying a knife is a choice with potentially devastating and irreversible consequences, impacting not just those directly involved but also their families, friends and the community as a whole.

"We will keep doing everything in our power to apprehend those who use knives and endanger public safety. I sincerely hope that this conviction will serve as a wake-up call to others considering carrying a weapon, as we continue to urge young people to 'Just Drop It'."

For information on the county's new anti-knife crime campaign 'Just Drop It', visit bit.ly/-JustDropIt.