Murderers, both aged 21, sentenced to a combined 43 years in prison for fatal stabbing of Northampton man Tommy Boom
Two 21-year-old drug dealers from Birmingham have been sentenced to a combined 43 years in prison for murdering Northampton man Tommy Boom.
Daniel Larman and Kieran Okocha-Sleight, both aged 21, were sentenced at Northampton Crown Court today for fatally stabbing Mr Boom at Semilong Park on July 18, 2024.
In January, following a two-week trial at Northampton Crown Court and after eight hours of deliberations, a jury of nine women and three men found Larman and Okocha-Sleight both guilty of murder.
The court heard that the 21-year-old dealers left a flat at Paget House, in King’s Heath, and had agreed to meet a homeless crack smoker at Miller’s Meadow to sell her drugs.
However, the court heard, it was a ‘trap’ set up by Mr Boom to rob the rival dealers as they were ‘easy’ targets, and that he had done it before at Dallington Park to Okocha-Sleight.
When they arrived at the park, Okocha-Sleight sat next to the homeless woman on a bench, while Larman stood in front of her, when Tommy appeared with another man, a drug dealer named Amazon, and asked what they were doing there.
Larman pulled out a large hunting knife from his waistband, and when Tommy asked him what he was going to do with it and told him to put it down, Larman lunged at him, stabbing him twice – once in the side of the chest, which proved to be the fatal blow.
Tommy collapsed, and despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he tragically died at the scene, and a murder investigation was launched.
Ten minutes after the killing, Larman and Okocha-Sleight filmed the murder weapon with Tommy’s blood on it, with a banner which read “just had to juice a guy up,” and sent it to a friend along with a second video of a blood-stained trainer with three laughing emojis.
Sentencing them today (May 12), His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo said: “Daniel Larman and Kieran Okocha-Sleight left Paget House with joint expectation of violence. A knife was taken to the scene with the intention to be used as a weapon.”
The judge said the violence was initiated by Mr Larman, despite claims of self-defence from the defence lawyers, and that severe force was used.
Judge Mayo continued: “Mr Larman without doubt in my mind intended to kill. Mr Okocha-Sleight was there as backup to protect Mr Larman.”
The judge added: “There were clearly two sides to this man (Tommy Boom), he was not a saint but he didnt deserve to be killed in such a brutal way."
The court heard how both Larman and Okocha-Sleight had a series of past convictions for drug dealing, assault with intention of wounding, drug dealing, and carrying imitations of firearms.
Larman was handed a 24-year sentence. He has already served 297 days on remand and will therefore be eligible for parole in 23 years and 68 days. He will remain on licence for the rest of his life.
Okocha-Sleight was handed a 21-year sentence. He has already served 297 days on remand and will therefore be eligible for parole in 20 years and 68 days. He will remain on licence for the rest of his life.