Drug dealer left 56 knife wounds on murder victim

Tyrell James initially claimed he was acting in self-defence

An "extremely violent" drug dealer has been jailed for life after he stabbed a man 38 times and inflicted 18 other knife wounds on him in a "frenzied" murder.

Karl Stanislaus, 44, was left for dead under a disused railway bridge in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, on 5 September.

Tyrell James, 24, was sentenced to a minimum of 31 years in prison by Reading Crown Court on Tuesday after being found guilty of murder at a trial.

Mr Stanislaus's mother said: "The thought that Karl died alone, scared and in pain will haunt my family forever."

Karl Stanislaus's mother said: "It takes a lifetime to learn and to live and a moment to die."

Thames Valley Police said witnesses heard Mr Stanislaus scream and beg for his life as James, of Hawksmoor Close in the town, launched an attack.

A member of public found Mr Stanislaus's body on Bowden Lane and tried to save his life, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

He had 38 stab wounds and 18 other knife wounds on his head, neck, torso, upper limbs and right leg.

Police said James contacted Mr Stanislaus prior to his death and was placed at the scene by phone and CCTV evidence.

'No remorse'

Prior to the murder, in 2022 James stabbed another man on Walton Drive in High Wycombe. The victim survived several knife wounds.

James admitted the attack after the guilty verdict for Mr Stanislaus's murder.

Det Ch Insp Stuart Brangwin said: "Tyrell James is an extremely violent individual who has killed an innocent man in Mr Stanislaus and inflicted serious knife injuries to another victim some months earlier.

"Throughout all his police interviews, he answered no comment to all questions put to him. He showed no remorse for what he had done."

Forensic experts were called to the scene in High Wycombe last September

James was sentenced to a minimum term of 31 years in prison for murder

Mr Brangwin said James had claimed he was acting in self-defence, but the "frenzied and ferocious nature of the attack is one of the worst I have ever seen".

"I know that no sentence will ever serve as solace... no family should ever have to go through what they have."

'Haunt my family forever'

Mr Stanislaus's mother said: "It takes a lifetime to learn and to live and a moment to die.

"That moment saw Karl taken from my family, and the thought that Karl died alone, scared and in pain will haunt my family forever."

His daughters added: "To have our dad taken away to such a vicious crime is completely unthinkable.

"The pain is immense. Every day we miss you, your laugh, the light you brought to the world.

"We honour and cherish your memory forever."

"James is an extremely dangerous individual and he will rightly serve an extremely long time in prison," said Thames Valley Police

James also received several concurrent sentences for wounding with intent, possession of an offensive weapon and breaking a suspended sentence for class A drug supply offences.