Killer who was jailed for stabbing man to death has sentence reduced

25 March 2023 , 22:48

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Brandon McNeil has had his sentence reduced (Image: PA)

A man who was jailed for murdering a motorcyclist in front of his girlfriend during a music video shoot has had his sentence reduced by more than three years.

Brandon McNeil, 20, was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 24 years after admitting to murdering Shane Jerome, 23, in Brixton, south London, in July 2021.

Three appeal judges have reduced that minimum term to 20 years and 247 days after hearing the case at a Court of Appeal hearing in London on Friday.

McNeil, who was 18 when he stabbed Shane to death, argued in his appeal that the minimum term imposed by Judge Sarah Munro at the Old Bailey in May 2022 was too long.

Shane Jerome was murdered in Brixton, South London (Facebook)

Shane Jerome was killed in front of his girlfriend (Facebook)

Barrister Rajiv Menon KC, who represented McNeil, argued that Judge Munro had not given enough weight to mitigating factors, including McNeil's age and the fact that he had been the victim of human trafficking,

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Appeal judges Lord Justice Warby, Mr Justice Garnham and Judge Andrew Lockhart upheld his appeal against the sentence.

Shane, of Thornton Heath, South London, had been part of a convoy of vehicles featured in the video when he was attacked, judges heard.

McNeil, of Vauxhall, South London, ran up to Shane and stabbed him in the chest with a knife, the judges were told.

Seleka Gathercole, Shane's girlfriend, had watched him die.

McNeil also swung the knife at a second man on a quad bike who was also part of the convoy, judges heard.

Judge Munro said McNeil had been involved with a gang and "must" have believed that people involved in the video were linked with rivals - although there was no evidence any were.

At the time of his sentencing, Judge Sarah Munro, QC, told him: "Shane Jerome was adored by his family, by his long-standing girlfriend and by his friends, many of whom are here today to pay their respects to him and to see you punished for snuffing out his life.

"He had no convictions and unlike you there is not a shred of evidence that he was involved in any criminal or gang activity.

"Loved ones are here today and their grief is tangible in this court."

Alahna Kindred