A prison inmate who murdered his cellmate by beating him to death with a wooden table leg has been jailed for life.
31-year-old Stevie Hilden beat the convicted arsonist Sundeep Ghuman, 36, to death at maximum security HMP Belmarsh in southeast London on February 18, 2020.
Mr Ghuman, who had been jailed for arson attacks in 2011, was rushed to hospital, but died the following day.
According to a post-mortem, he passed away from a traumatic head injury, and experienced extensive bruising to other parts of his body.
It is believed Hilden used a table leg inside the prison cell to continually thrash his cellmate with it in the murderous assault.
After his arrest, Hilden would not answer any questions, or give any type of explanation to the police, regarding how the victim's injuries arose.
He denied murder, but was convicted at Woolwich Crown Court, and imprisoned for life with a minimum of 17 years before considered for parole.
Detective Inspector Karen Bangs, the investigating officer, said: "Sundeep suffered a sustained attack that left him seriously injured and ultimately resulted in his death.
"My thoughts remain with his family as they continue to come to terms with their loss.
"This was a complex investigation in a challenging environment and I would like to thank the prison authorities for their support throughout the process.
"Hilden is a dangerous offender and he will now spend a considerable time in a high-security prison."
The victim’s mother, Harpal Ghuman, said: "On February 19, 2020, my son was killed in a brutal and merciless way. To think of the pain and suffering Sundeep had to go through makes me very upset.
"Mr Hilden has shown no remorse for his actions. I do not want anyone else to go through the pain and loss that I have had.
"I have listened to all the evidence at court and wish to thank the prison officers, police officers and barristers for bringing justice for my son."
