Ben Myles (L) and Joseph Barker (R) were sentenced in Kingston Crown Court
(Picture: Met Police)Two killers have been sentenced to 37 years in jail for their role in stabbing a man to death outside a Kingston nightclub.
Kai Davis, 22, was knifed in the chest as he got food with a friend and chatted to people leaving Pryzm nightclub in Kingston town centre.
Ben Myles, 24, and Joseph Barker, 23, sourced a knife after spotting Mr Davis and plotting an attack in the early hours of Saturday, August 21 last year.
Barker and Myles had spent the night inside the club and came out at around 3.15am. It is believed they spotted Kai and his friend, and Barker formulated a plan to attack him.
The pair were spotted putting on hoodies belonging to two others over their own clothes in an effort to conceal their faces from view, Kingston Crown Court heard.
With their hoods up they confronted Kai and Myles whipped out a knife and fatally stabbed him in the chest.
Kai attempted to run from the scene, chased by Barker, but collapsed just minutes later outside the Premier Inn on Wheatfield Street. He managed to walk a short distance before falling outside the Travelodge. He was airlifted to hospital where he died from his injury.
After chasing Kai, Barker returned to the scene of the stabbing before he and Myles ran off in separate directions. They met up later but brazenly stayed in the area for more than two hours so they could dump their knives and hoodies.
Officers managed to recover the murder weapon from a drain using a magnet after spotting Myles turning onto a quiet street to dispose of it on CCTV.
The pair were arrested at Myles’ home address in Hammersmith where officers found a knife hidden within a pile of jumpers.
In court, Myles attempted to argue that the knife used during the murder had in fact belonged to Kai and that he had simply wrestled it from him in fear for his life.
But his defence collapsed when evidence showed his accomplice was also seen to have a knife and after the killing Myles took great care to hide the murder weapon.
Crucially, Myles also failed to mention when interviewed by police that he had acted in self-defence.
DI Mike Nolan, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “My thoughts remain with Kai’s family and friends who continue to try and come to terms with this tragic and unnecessary incident which resulted in the death of a young man with his whole life to live.
“That night Myles secured a knife during a night out. Why do that unless you plan to hurt someone? Singling Kai out as the target of his violence, he swiftly concocted a plan - dressing in such a way as to attempt to avoid detection.
“Both Myles and Barker will now serve a lengthy period behind bars for their abhorrent actions on that night.”
Ben Myles from North End Road, Hammersmith was sentenced for murder at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, 19 October to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 26 years.
Joseph Barker from Clifton Gardens, Uxbridge, who was found guilty of manslaughter, was jailed for 11 years at the same hearing.
