It’s well publicised that knife crime in this country is a major problem and I don’t think that this could be exemplified any more than by a teenager stabbing a rival to death at a knife awareness course, as that’s probably the one place where you might think that this wouldn’t be a problem.

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Sadly that isn’t the case though after 18 year old Vladimir Nachev launched a brutal, apparently unprovoked attack on 18 year old Hakim Sillah at the Hillingdon Civic Centre in Uxbridge, West London, where both of them were attending the course. Nachev claimed his actions were in self defence, but he’s now been found guilty of murder and has received a lifetime prison sentence for this actions.

Those attending the course were subject to risk assessments, but somehow Nachev slipped through the net and managed to smuggle a knife through in his pants. Here’s what Judge Pushpinder Saini QC said during sentencing:

Having been dropped off by car by his mother Hakim was early for the session.

You came to the course carrying a concealed Rambo knife.

The cruel irony of the fact you took with you, and used, this weapon on a course which was intended to give you an awareness of weapons hardly needs stating.

Hakim had done nothing and said nothing to cause you to attack him.

Having murdered Hakim you calmly left the centre, concealing the weapon in your trousers… you were clearly distressed about what you had done.

You have an obsession with knives… and with drill rap lyrics, some of which you compose, which extol the virtues of using knives as part of what is clearly a misguided macho gang culture.

Not sure if it’s the right move to blame drill music here – kinda reminds me when Marilyn Manson got blamed for all those school shooting back in the 00s even though his music didn’t really have anything to do with them – but it seems clear that Nachev was very disturbed and had an unhealthy obsessions with knives for whatever reason. He smirked as he received his sentence and will have to serve at least 18 years before he’s eligible for parole, so I guess he’l have a lot of time to think about knives and come up with drill lyrics. Maybe that’s what he wanted? Psycho.

Thoughts obviously go out to Hakim’s family and friends at this trying time too. RIP.

For more of the same, check out this zombie knife thug who was let off 21 times for carrying a knife. What are the cops doing?