Connor Black murder: Life term for man who 'gloried' in friend's killing

Connor Black was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest

A man who told police he enjoyed stabbing his childhood friend to death has been jailed for life.

Kaylon Wilson attacked Connor Black in Syston, Leicestershire, in February, leaving him with 38 knife wounds.

Leicester Crown Court heard the defendant "gloried" in the killing at the scene and while being interviewed by police.

The 21-year-old, who pleaded guilty to murder on 20 August, must serve a minimum of 21 years and eight months.

The court heard Wilson - who was born in Oldham - and Mr Black, 24, had both been adopted as children after time in care, and their foster parents "were like a big family" and often holidayed together.

As the pair grew older they began to drift apart, especially after Wilson received a custodial sentence in 2017 following an attempted robbery, but later began to renew their friendship.

Gordon Aspden QC, prosecuting, said the pair "had a childhood bond akin to brotherhood".

Snapchat messages

He said the "trigger" came a week before the murder, after a row between Mr Black and the defendant's friends, when the victim was said to have touched the 17-year-old girlfriend of a mutual friend in a nearby off-licence.

On 27 February, the court heard that Mr Black and Wilson went to a prostitute before going to the defendant's house, in St Columba Way, where they had beer, cocaine and steroids, and listened to music.

After allowing his friend to stay, and making up a bed for him, Wilson stabbed him in the living room, then later continued the attack in the bathroom.

He sent Snapchat messages to Mason Rigby, the friend whose girlfriend alleged being touched, showing Mr Black injured on the floor.

Mr Aspden said Mr Rigby was so shocked he nearly vomited at the graphic images, and called 999 at 22:59 GMT.

'Devious and manipulative'

Police and ambulance crews arrived at the scene before 23:30, with bodyworn cameras showing Wilson saying Mr Black was dead.

In footage from the police van, and an interview at the station, he admitted causing the death.

Mr Aspden said Wilson admitted being "devious and manipulative" in planning to harm his friend.

The defendant said he did not initially mean to kill his friend, "but once he had begun stabbing him he started to enjoy it", the court was told.

"He was glorying in what he had done," Mr Aspden added.

"He said that he felt no shame, no regret and no remorse."

Mr Aspden said Wilson reported wanting to kill someone "for a long time" and "wanted the whole thing to be dramatic and spectacular".

'Macabre' killing

A post-mortem found "no less than 38 separate sharp force injuries", including a wound that pierced the left ventricle of the heart.

Injuries to the bone from the stabbings indicated "severe force", Mr Aspden said.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Black's mother said the family was "beyond words" at hearing about the cruelty Wilson inflicted on him.

"Connor lived his life for his friends - how tragic that his best friend should choose to take his," she said.

Representing Wilson, Mary Prior QC said the defendant's family had a history of schizophrenia and substance abuse, and said "emotional, physical and sexual abuse" he suffered at a young age worsened a developing personality disorder.

She said he "wasn't provided with the assistance he required" in the community, adding the way he "vacillates" when talking to police make it difficult to indicate "wilful glorying" over the death.

Sentencing Wilson, Judge Timothy Spencer QC said the murder "is as brutal a killing as I have seen in more than 40 years in the criminal law [system], and certainly the most macabre".

He described police footage of him after the attack as "chilling", adding the incident that triggered it was "minimal, and probably not even minimal".

"It festered in your warped mind," he said.

"It's indicative of your distorted thinking that you would even begin to think that what happened in the convenience store could be a trigger for violent retribution."

Leicestershire Police said they would not release Wilson's custody photo due to "concerns raised throughout the investigation regarding the offender seeking to be recognised for the crime".

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