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Teenager jailed for life for murder of Andre Bent after MoStack gig at Gallery Nightclub in Maidstone

11:45, 21 May 2020

updated: 16:10, 21 May 2020

A teenage killer, who murdered a student with a machete, recorded a track from his cell boasting about how he'd killed one person and said it 'should have been more.'

Vasilios Ofogeli killed Andre Bent after a rap concert in Maidstone. He has today been jailed for life and told to serve a minimum of 20 years.

Watch: Teenager found guilty after brutal stabbing in Maidstone

The 17-year-old appeared at the Old Bailey in London this morning after being found guilty of the student's violent death, two other attempted murders and another charge of wounding with intent

The killing took place outside the Gallery Nightclub in Bank Street in August following a show by rapper MoStack.

In March a jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard how Ofogeli left the venue at around 3am, before arming himself with a knife, putting a jumper over his head to disguise himself and launching a serious of terrifying attacks.

Ofogeli, of Grove House Road in Hornsey, north London, knifed Joshua Robinson, Patrick Conceicao and Lucas Baker, before fatally stabbing Mr Bent, a London South Bank University student who had been out for the night celebrating a friend's birthday.

Andre Bent died near Gallery nightclub in Maidstone in August
Andre Bent died near Gallery nightclub in Maidstone in August

This morning the Old Bailey heard how Ofogeli came into the possession of an illicit mobile phone while on remand following his conviction.

He used the phone to record 'drill' lyrics in which he boasted about having killed one person - and said it should have been more. These were posted on social media and came to the attention of his victim’s fiancée close to the time she went into labour.

Sentencing Ofogeli to life, Mrs Justice Cutts said of the recordings: "It was an unkind and wicked thing to do. I do not increase your sentence as a result of this action but it speaks volumes of your lack of remorse and understanding of the impact of your crimes.

"It also undermines your claims to the author of the pre-sentence report that you are remorseful for what you did and that your actions that night do not reveal the real you. Further rap lyrics concerning the trial were found in your cell."

Immediately after the attack, the killer fled the scene and eventually made his way to an airport in an attempt to evade justice, Mr Bent - whose fiancée Maria found out on the day he died that she was carrying his child - was dead just 40 minutes after the unprovoked attack.

Vasilios Ofogeli has been jailed for life for killing Andre Bent
Vasilios Ofogeli has been jailed for life for killing Andre Bent

She was waiting to tell him the good news, and so Mr Bent did not know he was going to become a dad.

CCTV images of Ofogeli were circulated on social media in the days following the stabbing, which led to detectives receiving information that he had posted footage of himself rapping online.

They traced the address linked to the computer the videos were uploaded from and established he had flown to Athens just hours after murdering Mr Bent, a cousin of former S Club 7 singer Bradley McIntosh.

They also discovered the weapon used during a search of a neighbour’s garden.

Ofogeli returned to the UK and was arrested at Stansted airport.

The jury at Maidstone Crown Court took just under 12 hours to convict the smirking Ofogeli of murder, two charges of attempted murder and one of wounding with intent.

Two others, Ryan Lowe-White and Ali Aziz, were cleared of wounding with intent, having earlier admitted a charge of violent disorder.

In a victim impact statement read to the court by prosecutor Jennifer Knight QC, Mr Bent's mother Monica McIntosh said: "This has devastated our family.

"With one swift movement of your arm, you have destroyed my son’s life.

"You have robbed my grandchild a lifetime of memories. Now my son's fiancée must be a single parent.

Floral tributes to murdered man Andre Bent who was killed in Maidstone. Picture: Street Pastors
Floral tributes to murdered man Andre Bent who was killed in Maidstone. Picture: Street Pastors

"Andre and Maria were trying for a baby and were so happy together. They had so much to look forward to.

"Maria must bring up their child alone. You have robbed us a lifetime of hugs and memories. Andre was dearly loved."

Reacting to today's sentencing, senior investigating officer DCI Patrick Milford, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "Andre Bent was a popular and much-loved young man with his whole life ahead of him, but his future was cut short by Vasilios Ofogeli in the worst way imaginable.

"Ofogeli and his friends had travelled to Maidstone from their home in London and brought with them a level of violence that we simply do not tolerate here in Kent.

"There is no excuse for anyone to go out while armed with a knife or to cause such serious harm to others, and we relentlessly pursue those who do to ensure they are brought to justice.

Watch: The moment the killer was arrested at Stansted airport

"The callous and random nature of the knife attacks committed by Ofogeli on Andre and three other men are deeply troubling and paint a picture of a young man who thinks nothing of attacking others with a deadly weapon. He is fully deserving of the lengthy prison sentence he will now have to serve."

A large amount of mobile phone footage was posted on social media following the disturbance.

Combining this with CCTV evidence, police investigating the stabbings were able to establish that Ofogeli was in possession of a machete-style knife that he first used to stab three other men, who have all since recovered from their injuries.

The teenager's final victim was Mr Bent, who was unarmed and suffered a single stab wound to the chest.

He was helped to the Urban Blue charity bus where first aid was administered but was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

DCI Milford said: "‘This was a fast-paced investigation that demonstrates our commitment to ensuring justice for Andre’s family most importantly, but also for the people of Maidstone who were shocked and appalled by what happened that night.

"Thankfully such incidents are rare and our officers work hard on a daily basis to ensure it stays that way."

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here

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Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone

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