Man jailed for life for prom night murder

Patrick Sharp-Meade stabbed Kajetan Migdal during an "irrationally jealous" rage

A man found guilty of murdering a teenage dancer in an unprovoked attack on the night of his school prom has been jailed for life.

Kajetan Migdal, 18, died after being stabbed in the heart on Cutty's Lane, Stevenage, on 27 May 2022, after he had been at the Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School event.

Patrick Sharp-Meade, now 20, mistakenly believed the teenager and three friends had spoken to his ex-girlfriend.

At Luton Crown Court, Sharp-Meade, of Cutty's Lane, was told he must serve a minimum term of 26 years and 12 days before he can be considered for parole.

Following sentencing, the victim's family said the "inhumane, senseless and unprovoked attack brought to an end the life of our utterly innocent, talented and widely cherished Kajetan".

Kajetan Migdal was stabbed in the heart after attending his prom in Stevenage

The court heard Mr Migdal was a talented dancer who appeared on the BBC's Greatest Dancer, and he did not know Sharp-Meade.

The Year 13 student, who was stabbed in the heart with a large zombie knife, was rushed to the Lister Hospital but died a few hours later.

Judge John Hillen said Mr Migdal "was a remarkable young man" who was "larger than life".

He said he was a bright student with a bright future ahead of him.

"He was someone who loved and was loved," he said.

The teenager was stabbed on 27 May 2022 at 23:20 BST

Judge Hillen told Sharp-Meade: "You took a huge and vicious knife, put on a balaclava and gloves, and went out to confront Kajetan and his friends, and challenged them about following or speaking to your ex-girlfriend.

"Despite being repeatedly told by your ex-girlfriend that the boys had done nothing, you demanded to know if they were from the area, demanded Kajetan's car keys and, not being satisfied with the answers, you pulled out the knife and thrust it into Kajetan's chest.

"You ran, hid the knife in the mattress of a bed and then left the flat."

'Unprovoked attack'

An impact statement written by Mr Migdal's mother, Gemma Migdal, and released by police, said he was "the life and soul" of their happy household.

He "knew how to love and care for people, and his emotional maturity was way beyond his young years", she said.

"This inhumane, senseless and unprovoked attack brought to an end the life of our utterly innocent, talented and widely cherished Kajetan, ruining and changing the course of the lives of so many other innocents in its wake."

Tributes were left to Kajetan Migdal by his friends

Det Insp Justine Jenkins, from Hertfordshire Police, said: "A young person who had so much promise sadly lost their life due to the actions of one individual.

"There is nothing that can bring Kajetan back and whilst this sentence is significant it cannot repair the damage caused to many other lives."

She thanked the teenager's family for their "bravery and strength".

Lorraine Telford, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said the defendant's "irrational jealousy led to the loss of a promising young man's life".

"Sharp-Meade's attack on Kajetan was wholly unprovoked and senseless," she said.