A Nigerian national, Chukwuemeka Ahanonu, has been handed a life sentence for the killing of a 56-year-old woman he attacked on a street in Leicester after crashing his vehicle while under the influence of cannabis.
According to a report by Leicestershire Police, the 24-year-old assaulted Nila Patel on June 24, 2025, along Infirmary Road.
He was found guilty by a jury at Leicester Crown Court on Monday and subsequently sentenced on Tuesday.
Police said Ahanonu had been driving erratically through the city centre before the incident, swerving between lanes, ignoring traffic signals, and veering dangerously close to pedestrians before eventually crashing his car.
Following the crash, he fled the scene and attacked Patel, who had just disembarked from a bus and was on her way home.
At the time of his arrest, officers discovered he had been using cannabis. A search of his vehicle uncovered dealer-sized quantities of the substance valued at more than Ā£3,000, along with three iPhones.
Prior to the murder conviction, Ahanonu had already pleaded guilty to offences including dangerous driving, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, and assaulting an emergency worker after biting a female police officer.
Staff and security personnel from the nearby Leicester Royal Infirmary intervened to restrain him until police arrived, while medical teams treated Patel for critical injuries, including a fractured skull and severe brain trauma. She died two days later, leading to his re-arrest on suspicion of murder on June 26, 2025.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Emma Matts, described the attack as āa horrific, violent and random assaultā on an innocent victim.
āAhanonu was unknown to the victim. She was simply walking home when she was subjected to this brutal assault,ā Matts said, adding that CCTV footage capturing his driving prior to the crash was āfrightening and disturbing.ā
She also praised members of the public who stepped in during the incident, noting that their prompt actions in restraining the suspect and assisting the victim played a vital role in the course of justice.
UK court jails Nigerian man for life over Leicester street murder
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