A teenager, Jackson Uwagboe, who murdered a 21-year-old man in what prosecutors described as a “vicious attack” in south-east London and later fled the country, has been sentenced to life in prison.
Uwagboe, 19, of Hamilton Street, Lewisham, was convicted on 10 February at the Old Bailey of murdering Robert Robinson on 6 June 2024 in Deptford.
On Wednesday, he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years for murder, as well as robbery and possession of a bladed article.
Two other men, Ryan Wedderburn, 18, and Kirk Harris, 19, were convicted of Robinson’s murder in May last year and also jailed for life.
Wedderburn was ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years, while Harris received a minimum term of 22 years and nine months.
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Robinson suffered 12 serious stab wounds during the attack, including defensive injuries suggesting he tried to protect himself, according to the Metropolitan Police. He died at the scene on Carteret Way, Deptford.
Police said all three attackers ran from the scene, with Uwagboe fleeing the country. He returned to the UK on 25 February 2025 and was arrested at Gatwick Airport, London, on suspicion of murder.
Detective Inspector Neil Tovey, who led the investigation, said: “Robert was subjected to a brutal and sustained attack by a group of men armed with knives. He was unarmed, already wounded, and on the ground when Uwagboe attacked him. His claims of self-defence were entirely without foundation.”
He added that the verdicts marked “justice for Robert Robinson and his family”, who had endured two trials due to Uwagboe’s decision to flee the country.
The court heard that Uwagboe had a history of minor offences prior to the killing, but nothing that suggested he would commit such a violent act. Prosecutors described the attack as “opportunistic and completely unprovoked,” emphasizing the sheer ferocity of the assault. Witnesses recalled seeing Robinson desperately trying to escape before he was repeatedly stabbed.
During sentencing, the judge highlighted the premeditated nature of the attack and the callousness shown by all three perpetrators. “This was not a spontaneous altercation,” the judge said. “It was a sustained, coordinated assault that left a young man dead and his family devastated. Such violence cannot go unpunished.”
Robinson’s family, who attended the hearing, expressed relief at the verdict but acknowledged that the pain of their loss would never fully fade. Speaking outside the court, a relative said, “We are grateful for the justice served, but no sentence can bring Robert back. We hope this serves as a warning that such senseless acts will be met with the full force of the law.”
Vanguard
