Two teenage boys have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 16-year-old in a case of mistaken identity.
Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill, who are both 17 and can be named for the first time, were involved in a stabbing attack on Ronan Kanda. They set upon him from behind as he walked to a friend’s house to buy a PlayStation controller in Wolverhampton last year.
Ronan, who had just finished his GCSEs, died yards from his home when the knife pierced his heart. Veadhesa and Shergill had intended to attack one of Ronan’s friends in a dispute about an unpaid debt, the jury at Wolverhampton crown court was told.
Veadhasa was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 18 years while Shergill, who was found to have acted in joint enterprise for the murder, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years.
On the day of the attack, Veadhasa had collected a ninja sword set and a large machete he had bought online, the court heard.
Before Veadhesa and Shergill were sentenced, the judge Mr Justice Choudhury lifted reporting restrictions that had previously prevented their names from being made public.
Ronan’s family, who were in the courtroom wearing “Justice for Ronan” T-shirts, sobbed as the teenager’s father, Chander, read a tribute to his “beautiful boy”. Veadhesa and Shergill, wearing black suits and ties, sat next to each other in the dock listening to proceedings.
Chander Kanda said: “Ronan was not only my son – he was my world, my friend and the soul of our family. He was the one that would make us laugh and realise that life is what you make it and enjoy our precious time on earth as a family.”
Ronan’s mother, Pooja, told the court she replayed the last time she saw her son alive every day in her mind. “I have lost a lifetime of dreams, hopes and ambitions. He was the son that every mother needs,” she said.
Addressing her son’s killers, she said: “Your evil actions have taken my son’s life.” She added: “With this I have lost a lifetime of dreams, plans, hopes and wishes. Nothing on this earth will satisfy my maternal desire to hold my son in my arms.”
The jury took two hours to convict the pair after a five-week trial.
DI Ade George, of the West Midlands homicide unit, who led the investigation, said: “The pain of losing a child is immeasurable but to also know that he was not the intended target adds a whole new layer of grief and I cannot begin to imagine the sorrow Ronan’s family feel.
“There are no winners when knives remain on our streets and we will continue to crack down on those who think it’s acceptable to carry them.”
