A man and a teenager who ambushed a man in Kingston and stabbed him to death have been given life sentences.
Murderer: Sean Deery encouraged a ‘little cousin’ to join him in the ambush
The attack was planned by Sean Deery, who was joined by Sebastian Niven, who was aged just 15 at the time of the murder in December 2021.
Farhad Khalili, 32, was murdered as he walked home from a kebab shop – the motive of the killers still uncertain even following an Old Bailey murder trial which saw Deery and Niven sentenced yesterday.
The attack happened at around 7pm on December 15 2021 as Khalili walked along Surbiton Crescent. As he approached the junction of Anglesea Road, he was ambushed.
Farhad was stabbed several times and managed to stagger to Surbiton Road where he collapsed. Police, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended but despite their best efforts, Farhad died at the scene.
What the Metropolitan Police called “a quick-time review of CCTV” identified both Deery and Niven attacking Farhad. Deery had been detained after being wrongly identified as a suspect in a separate robbery that took place in nearby Portsmouth Road, Kingston shortly before the attack on Farhad.
Niven had fled on foot but was arrested at his home address the following day where blood-stained clothing was found linking him to the attack on Farhad.
Murderer: Sebastian Niven was sentenced to spend 14 years in prison
While in custody, both Deery and Niven refused to answer any questions put to them in police interview, but the evidence against them was such that both were charged with murder.
Deery, 29, from West Moseley, had known Khalili since childhood. He has been given a minimum term of 25 years in jail. Niven, from Thames Ditton, was given a minimum custodial term of 14 years. It has only been possible to identify Niven now, because he has had his 18th birthday during the course of the trial proceedings
At the Central Criminal Court yesterday, Judge Peter Rook told them they had “ambushed Farhad Khalili when he was on his way to visit his mother. Acting together, you carried out a brutal knife attack on a man in a situation where he was defenceless.
“In those few seconds you deprived him of his most precious possession, life itself.”
At the defendants’ trial last year, the Old Bailey heard how Deery was engaged in a “feud” with Khalili, who had been a friend of his, over either drugs or money. Deery arranged for Niven, 13 years younger than him, to take part in the attack.
“You looked upon him as a ‘little cousin’ and were quite prepared to let him wield a knife… so you could extract revenge,” Judge Rook said.
The trial had heard how the defendants had waited for Khalili and chosen a vantage point with a view of his family home before stabbing him in the back. They had attempted to disguise themselves with their hoods drawn up, covering their faces.
Khalili had a telephone in his right hand, was wearing earphones and drinking from a bottle and “was completely oblivious as to what was about to occur and had no way to defend himself”, Judge Rook said.
Detective Inspector Jim Barry, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: “While Farhad and his assailants were known to each other it has never been established why they attacked him in such a violent manner.
“What is clear is that when Deery and Niven launched their attack, they did so with a ferocity and intent to cause Farhad significant harm.
“The actions of those on scene, including the officers who initially responded to the call, were commendable and helped us quickly identify and detain both suspects. The support and assistance from the local community was vital.
Murdered: Farhad Khalili
“This has enabled us to put those responsible for Farhad’s murder before the courts to face the consequences of their actions. I hope these sentences bring some small degree of comfort to Farhad’s family and friends who have been left to deal with the tragic outcome.”
A victim impact statement from the victim’s mother Goli Ghanbari said: “As a mother whose son has been murdered for nothing, I now have to live with this life sentence.
“My family have had their lives torn apart in a matter of seconds and I can’t see a future for myself.”
The Old Bailey heard that Niven, who was 15 at the time of the stabbing, had significant mental health issues and was a victim of exploitation by older criminals.
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