A man has been jailed for murder after a teenager he left needing round the clock care died five years after the attack.
Tyrese Osei-Kofi, 25, of Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, had already been serving a ten-year sentence for the brutal stabbing on 17-year-old Jamel Boyce on October 14, 2016, left him with a catastrophic brain injury.
On Friday he was sentenced to a further minimum sentence of seven years and ten months for Jamel’s murder after he died in 2022 aged 22.
The Old Bailey heard how police were called to Triangle Place in Clapham and found Jamel with stab wounds to his chest and leg.
He suffered a cardiac arrest before arriving in hospital due to the stab wound to his heart, and was deprived of oxygen for fourteen minutes.
This left him in a minimally conscious state and needing round-the-clock care.
He was previously jailed for ten years for grievous bodily harm, but police initiated murder proceedings against him after Jamel’s death.
Met Detective Inspector Andy Griffin said: “Jamel was a young man with a very promising future, known as ‘Smiley’ to his friends.
“He was described by those who knew him as an intelligent, thoughtful and considerate young man.
“The ordeal that he and his family have been through has been devastating.
“I sincerely hope that today’s sentence brings closure to the nightmare they have lived through for the last eight years.”
His parents have urged his killer to find remorse and ask forgiveness from God, as they paid tribute to their son.
Jamel’s father, Patrick said: “I have come to witness the sentence of this man who took my son’s life, and I wish to hear him say he is sorry and ask for forgiveness from us.
“No amount of sentence can justify what he has done to me and my family, but I hope in time that somewhere in his heart he can find some remorse and ask whichever God he believes in for forgiveness.”
His mother, Pansy, added: “This stabbing turned an ordinary day in 2016 into a nightmare that we were forced to live through for five and a half years, while Jamel was left blind, unable to speak and severely limited in his ability to interact with the world around him.
“He fought tirelessly to survive, with us by his side throughout, despite such a bleak outlook, before closing his eyes for the last time.
“The impact of Jamel’s death extends far beyond his individual life; it has ripped through our family and community in ways that words can barely capture.
“The damage caused by this crime will ripple through all our lives for years to come.”
