The mum of a man killed by drug dealers after being in the “wrong place at the wrong time” has spoken about the “unimaginable” pain the murder has caused her family.
Keetha Allaway’s son, Imani Allaway-Muir, was murdered near a children's playground over a stolen Rolex in a case of mistaken identity in July 2020.
Her comments came as her son’s killers were jailed for life at the Old Bailey on Friday (November 25).
Demetrios Kyriacou, 35, of Liverpool Road, was previously found guilty to murder and was sentenced to a minimum term of 31 years.
Nathaniel Reece, 41, of Southgate Road, previously pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to a minimum 33 years and two months.
Matthew Hardy, 36, of Six Acres Estate, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years and Darren Dredge, 41, for eight-and-a-half years for manslaughter.
James Nicholson, 36, will be sentenced for manslaughter at a later date.
During the trial, the court heard that on the day of the murder (July 4, 2020) Kyriacou was robbed by four unknown men in Carville Street. The suspects drove off in a black BMW after stealing his Rolex watch, iPhone and cash.
Police attended the scene, but Kyriacou refused their offer of investigating the incident.
Instead, Kyriacou hatched a plan with his fellow defendants to reclaim the stolen property himself, by tracking his assailants using the Find My iPhone app.
After locating the stolen iPhone to Faraday Close, the defendants, including Kyriacou and Reece, arrived in the area shortly before 3.20pm.
They immediately approached a group of people who were gathered in a nearby alleyway. Seconds later, Reece shot Imani multiple times on Roman Way before the defendants fled the scene.
Despite the efforts of attending medics, Imani was pronounced dead about half an hour later.
Police later confirmed that Imani had not been involved in the robbery of Kyriacou.
In her statement to the court during sentencing, mum Keetha Allaway, said: "The pain we feel is unimaginable and no amount of words in this world could describe it.
“Imani was the 'glue' to our family and loved by so many. The whole family are so damaged by Imani’s death.
“A mother should never have to bury their son.”
Kyriacou was also sentenced for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs, and Hardy and Dredge for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.
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