Leicester Prison Murder: Two Inmates Jailed for Fatal Assault

Two Leicestershire prisoners, Thierry Robinson and Ashirie Smith, have been sentenced for their parts in the murder of another inmate, Mahir Mohammed, at HMP Fosse Way. Mohammed, who was 31 and serving a sentence for sex offences, was taunted, attacked, and abused by the pair and others before throwing a kettle of hot water at them on August 19 last year. The next day, Smith and Robinson attacked Mohammed in his cell, leaving him with a fatal neck injury.

Key Takeaways:

• Thierry Robinson, 21, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 11 years in prison, having been serving a 5.5-year sentence for class A drug offences at the time of the attack.
• Ashirie Smith, 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years and six months, having been serving a 3-year sentence for firearms offences.
• Both Robinson and Smith had previously been involved in bullying and abuse of Mohammed, with Smith visiting his cell 12 times on the day before the attack.
• CCTV footage caught the pair leaving their cells wearing laced-up shoes and Robinson wearing gym gloves as they went into Mohammed's cell, indicating premeditation.
• The attack was described by Judge Timothy Spencer as "ferocious violence" and "copious" amounts of blood were found inside the cell after the beating.
• Mohammed's injuries included a ruptured artery in his neck, and he had been left isolated and ostracised in prison after being set up by a vigilante group for an online conversation he had with a decoy girl.
• Smith's letter to the judge revealed that he had grown up in care and had been a victim of gun and knife crime in the past, and had written of his desire to rehabilitate himself.

Statistics:

• Mahir Mohammed was 31 years old at the time of his death.
• Mohammed had been serving a sentence for sex offences at HMP Fosse Way.
• Thierry Robinson had been serving a 5.5-year sentence for class A drug offences at the time of the attack.
• Ashirie Smith had been serving a 3-year sentence for firearms offences at the time of the attack.
• The pair had visited Mohammed's cell on 12 occasions in the 24 hours before the attack.
• Mohammed had been assaulted at least once before by Smith, with Mr. Mohammed throwing hot water from a kettle at Smith and Robinson on August 19 last year.
• Robinson and Smith had on their lace-up shoes when they attacked Mohammed, indicating premeditation.
• Mohammed died from a ruptured artery in his neck.

Sources:

• "Leicester Crown Court"
• "HMP Fosse Way"
• "Michael Burrows KC" (prosecutor)
• "Judge Timothy Spencer KC" (sentencing judge)