UK-based Nigerian sentenced to life in prison for murder

A teenager, Jackson Uwagboe who murdered a 21-year-old man in what prosecutors described as a “vicious attack” in south-east London and later fled the country has been sentenced to life in prison.

Uwagboe, 19, of Hamilton Street, Lewisham, was convicted on 10 February at the Old Bailey of murdering Robert Robinson on 6 June 2024 in Deptford.

On Wednesday, he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years for murder, as well as robbery and possession of a bladed article.

Two other men, Ryan Wedderburn, 18, and Kirk Harris, 19, were convicted of Robinson’s murder in May last year and also jailed for life.

Wedderburn was ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years, while Harris received a minimum term of 22 years and nine months.

Robinson suffered 12 serious stab wounds during the attack, including defensive injuries suggesting he tried to protect himself, according to the Metropolitan Police. He died at the scene on Carteret Way, Deptford.

Police said all three attackers ran from the scene, with Uwagboe fleeing the country. He returned to the UK on 25 February 2025 and was arrested at Gatwick Airport on suspicion of murder.

Detective Inspector Neil Tovey, who led the investigation, said: “Robert was subjected to a brutal and sustained attack by a group of men armed with knives. He was unarmed, already wounded, and on the ground when Uwagboe attacked him. His claims of self-defence were entirely without foundation.”

He added that the verdicts marked “justice for Robert Robinson and his family”, who had endured two trials due to Uwagboe’s decision to flee the country.