Richard Hand murder case: Man bailed for axe attack went on to kill

Richard Hand denied murder - but gave details to police that only the killer could have known

A drug addict who murdered a man while on bail for a "vicious" axe attack has been jailed for life.

Richard Hand stabbed 37-year-old Yassar Moussa in the neck on 22 August last year then dumped his naked body in a park in Walthamstow, east London.

At the time of the killing, Hand had been on bail charged with attacking Graeme Bennett with an axe eight months earlier.

Hand was jailed at the Old Bailey for a minimum of 30 years.

The 43-year-old was also found guilty of attempted murder in relation to the attack on Mr Bennett in Streatham Hill, south London, in January 2020. He suffered a fractured skull after inviting Hand to his home, where the defendant struck "out of the blue".

Mr Moussa's partner, Lauren Battye, said he had been failed by the criminal justice system.

"If he (Hand) had not been released from prison, this would not have happened."

The Ministry of Justice said it was a matter for the Judiciary and the independent judge who granted Hand bail.

Yassar Moussa's blood was found inside Hand's flat and on his clothes

Mr Moussa was visiting Hand at his home in Falmouth Way, Walthamstow, on the day of the attack.

An examination of his body found a wound to Mr Moussa's knee, suggesting a failed attempt at dismemberment.

'Chance discovery'

Afterwards, Hand attempted to cover his tracks by stripping Mr Moussa's body and covering him in bleach before stuffing him in a suitcase.

The next day, Hand was caught on CCTV dragging a heavy suitcase to St James Park where Mr Moussa's body was found in heavy undergrowth.

Environment Agency workers found the body of Mr Moussa in St James Park, Walthamstow

It was only by chance the body was discovered, on 24 August 2020, as Environment Agency workers cut back the undergrowth in the park for the first time in 10 years.

Hand denied being responsible for the killing of Mr Moussa, whom he knew as a fellow drug user.

But when officers spoke to Hand, he claimed to have heard the victim had been strangled or stabbed in the neck and dumped naked - details that were not publicly known.