Self-proclaimed ‘monster' who fatally beat chef near carnival jailed for life
A self-proclaimed 'monster' who beat a top chef near Notting Hill Carnival and left him dying in the street has been jailed for at least 18 years.
Omar Wilson, 31, repeatedly punched and kicked Mussie Imnetu during an altercation outside the Dr Power restaurant in Queensway, west London, on August 26 last year.
Mr Imnetu, 41, who had worked under chefs Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing, was said to have been 'heavily intoxicated' at the time of the incident and died in hospital four days later.
During his Old Bailey trial for murder, Wilson claimed he acted in self-defence, telling jurors: 'I just regret that somebody's life was taken while I was trying to defend mine.'
Sentencing the defendant for life with a minimum term of 18 years, Judge Philip Katz said: 'Mussie and those who loved him are the victims in this case and the impact on them of his murder has been severe.
'His brutal death on the street was captured on CCTV. The footage was deeply shocking to watch.
'Mussie was defenceless on the ground when you punched and kicked him to death.
'It needs to be clearly understood that unlawful street violence of this sort impacts on the confidence of members of the public to go out and enjoy themselves. The culpability of those involved in such brazen conduct is significantly raised.'
He continued: 'You could not control your temper. Only a few seconds after punches were aimed by both of you you tripped Mussie and he fell to the ground and you could have walked away.
'As he knelt you rained further punches down on his head. You could have walked away.
'However, you stood up, raised your leg and kicked him hard to the head. Kicking someone to the head when they are defenceless on the ground is abhorrent.'
Mr Imnetu's wife, Linda, described her husband as 'respected, admired and loved' in a pre-recorded victim impact statement played in court.
'Mussie didn't just leave behind a legacy for his family, he left an indelible mark on his workplace and community,' she said.
'Nothing can undo what has been taken from us. I ask the court to remember the man Mussie was: his character, his integrity and the life he built; not just the circumstances of his passing.'
A short audio recording of Mr Imnetu's six-year-old son wishing his 'daddy' goodbye was also played, which the judge called 'heart-rending'.
'I love you,' the little boy said. 'Bye bye daddy.'
A group of Mr Imnetu's loved ones sat in the well of the court for the hearing, and some cried after hearing his son's recording.
During the trial, the jury had been shown graphic CCTV footage showing Wilson approaching Mr Imnetu and headbutting him.
About a minute later, Wilson punched Mr Imnetu five times in the head, causing him to fall to the ground.
Wilson continued to punch Mr Imnetu repeatedly while he was on his hands and knees, then kicked him in the head.
The defendant then left and was dropped off outside a London club – the Ministry of Sound.
Mr Imnetu, who worked at The Arts Club, a private member's establishment, was taken to hospital and died four days later without regaining consciousness, jurors heard.
In the aftermath of the attack, Wilson told an associate he 'crossed the line'.
In a message, he admitted: 'There's a monster in me, man, and it's just like sometimes it comes out.
'And I think I've messed up now, I've messed up, everything's finished.'
Asked how the carnival was going, he replied: 'Can't lie. I did the hands ting (sic) and I think it's a manslaughter,' jurors heard.
Following his arrest on August 28, Wilson, of Napier Road, Leytonstone, east London, told police he had struck the victim in 'self-defence'.
He claimed Mr Imnetu was behaving erratically, harassing girls, and had a bottle.
Judge Katz said his evidence that he believed Mr Imnetu had with him a broken bottle was 'a deliberate lie'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Death of 16-year-old boy hit by car on pavement leaves community shocked
A business owner has described his horror after a teenager died outside his gates when the boy was hit by a car which appeared to swerve onto the wrong side of the road and mount the pavement. Graphic CCTV footage of the incident in the Darnall area of Sheffield appears to show the car veer into the opposite carriageway before hitting the 16-year-old at speed. An electric bike also appears to be hit by the car before it collides with the boy. South Yorkshire Police said officers were called to reports of a road traffic collision on Staniforth Road shortly after 4.50pm on Wednesday. The force said a 16-year-old male pedestrian was taken to hospital but died of his injuries, while an 18-year-old man, who was the rider of the electric bike, remains in hospital with serious injuries. It was reported that a grey Audi failed to stop at the scene. Police said a man and woman in their forties have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and remain in custody. Mojid Khan said the boy came to rest at the gates of his Staniforth Road wholesale business and his staff were the first on the scene after hearing the collision. He said he arrived half an hour later and was shocked to see what his CCTV system had recorded. Mr Khan said on Thursday: 'When it happens on your doorstep, literally, it does affect you. It's quite horrific to see how it happens.' He said: 'I think it's a local lad that's passed away and another local lad that got injured on a motorbike. It's shocking for us as a community. 'The disturbing thing is that this is not the first time that this has happened. It seems every few months something like this is going on. 'I think that's a matter for our politicians to do something about.' He said: 'Tomorrow is our Eid festival. That's going to hit them (the boy's family) even harder. 'It should be a happy day. I'm really sad for the family. Their loss is going to be that much greater tomorrow.' Mr Khan said people used the road outside his business 'like a racetrack' with increasing problems with quad bikes and scooters. 'I have children in this area who go to school, who go to work, and other family members going to the local shops,' he said. 'It's quite distressing and disturbing to know this kind of thing is happening on a regular basis.' Mr Khan said it was a close-knit community, which he had worked in since 1978, but speeding motorists and gang problems had begun to blight the area in recent years. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles said: 'We know that this incident will have caused significant concern in the local community, and tonight our thoughts are with the boy's loved ones following this tragic incident. 'Our investigation into what happened is continuing at pace and we currently have a scene in place on Staniforth Road as we continue to piece together the circumstances. 'We are aware of speculation being shared online, as well as footage of the incident, and we ask members of the public to withhold from speculating or sharing footage which may cause distress to the boy's family. 'If you have any footage, imagery or information that may assist our investigation, then please share this with us – it may form an important part of our investigation.' Anyone with information is urged to contact 101 or report it to the police online, quoting incident number 630 of June 4 2025. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Brazen murders threaten Mexico City's image as pocket of safety in violent nation
By Rafael Escalera Montoto MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -On a Tuesday morning along a busy Mexico City avenue last month, a secretary to the city's mayor pulled her black Audi SUV up to a metro station to pick up a colleague. Their killer was waiting for them. The assassin shot the political staffers at point-blank range through the windshield, and then through the driver's window, before breaking into a sprint and disappearing into the city's morning bustle, CCTV video of the attack seen by Reuters shows. The murders of Ximena Guzman, a secretary to Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, and Jose Munoz, the mayor's adviser, immediately sent shockwaves through Mexico City's political and business elite. Not only was this kind of targeted political violence unusual in Mexico City, many of them believed the murders were a clear message to Brugada from organized crime groups to give them free rein. With around 30,000 homicides a year, Mexico has one of the highest murder rates in the world behind Myanmar, Honduras, and Jamaica according to a 2023 report by the UN. But the violence is almost entirely in areas outside the capital: all but one of the 37 candidates for local and federal office killed in the run-up to national elections last year were outside Mexico City. Experts have pointed to powerful drug cartels as the perpetrators. Reuters spoke to five business people who referred to the murders as shocking and terrifying, but declined to be named for fear of putting themselves at risk. One bank executive said he already uses an armored vehicle and didn't expect to boost security measures further. Not since the dramatic assassination attempt in 2020 of Mexico City police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch -- now Mexico's Security Minister -- has the capital seen what at least two experts said is a blatant effort to intimidate its political leaders. The killings have, at least momentarily, pierced the city's reputation as a safe haven from the country's widespread political violence. There is much at stake for the capital. Mexico City is the country's beating heart: a business, political and tourist hub vital to both the functioning of Latin America's second largest economy and its global image. Any sense the city is no longer safe could deal a devastating blow to its image, especially as Mexico co-hosts the 2026 soccer World Cup alongside Canada and the United States. The Mexico City attorney general's office has not released findings from its ongoing investigation into the crime or identified a suspect. But three security analysts told Reuters the public nature of the attack and its high-profile targets point to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal groups in Mexico and labeled by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. The killings showed signs of meticulous preparation, said David Saucedo, a security expert in Mexico City who advises state governments and companies on security issues. He noted they occurred during President Claudia Sheinbaum's morning press conference, where she touted arrests and the confiscation of weapons from criminal groups across several states. "They did it with the objective of dismantling Claudia Sheinbaum's narrative," Saucedo said. "If you want to make a big media splash, you do it in the capital." Mexico City's government and the presidency did not respond to requests for comment. After the killings, Brugada promised the crime would not go unpunished and that her government would continue its fight against violent crime. Mexico City police said the case is being investigated with "the same rigor that every homicide in the city is investigated with." TOURIST HOTSPOT Mexico City in recent years has become a tourist hotspot, with over a million tourists landing at the capital's airport between January and March this year, following only Cancun as the country's airport with the heaviest traffic. Safety has been vital to the city's renaissance as an attractive destination for business and tourism. Between 2019 and 2023, when Sheinbaum was the city's mayor, homicides in the city plummeted by roughly half, according to federal government data - a record she campaigned on in her successful bid the for the presidency. Still, the presence of drug cartels in Mexico City remains beneath the surface. Business owners say it is common for organized crime groups to force nightclubs to allow them to sell drugs in their bathrooms, while some restaurants are told to make extortion payments to operate. Some of the city's wealthier residents have been taking more precautions in recent months, said Fernando Ortega, from Blindaje Diamante, an armored car shop in Mexico City, noting a rise in sales of armored cars this year. "There is a market that might not have the budget for a full armoring, but wants to feel protected," Ortega said. Security analysts say Brugada now faces a dilemma - she cannot let the crime go unpunished but a hardline response risks retaliatory attacks in the city from criminal groups. That mirrors the broader security challenge in the country, especially as U.S. President Donald Trump demands a stronger response to organized crime in Mexico. "Mexico is stuck between a rock and a hard place," said David Shirk, a professor at the University of San Diego, who studies security issues in Mexico.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Holidaymakers 'frightened' in surreal gang shooting aftermath
It's less than 36 hours after a gangland double murder in a busy bar on the Costa Del Sol, and there is no sign of the Spanish police - apart from an occasional patrol car gliding by. No cordon, no tape, no forensics in white suits, no officer guarding the front door of Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola. According to a local cameraman, it was the same on Sunday afternoon - the day after Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr were gunned down. In the homeland of the two men who had been shot dead, the case would be classed as a top level "category A" homicide with the bar sealed off and turned upside down for days afterwards. This is Spain, not Scotland. But it must surely be wrong to assume the lack of a visible presence means a lack of interest from the Spanish National Police. This part of the country is no stranger to violence linked to organised crime and this was the murder of two men in a public place. They were shot dead in cold blood in a busy bar and bystanders could easily have been injured or killed. The mayor of Fuengirola, Ana Mula, has been quoted as saying the police need more resources to deal with the shootings and the general threat of drug-related organised crime. When I arrived late on Monday morning, Mongahans was the only place not open for business in the long strip of pubs and restaurants along the beachfront, where holidaymakers basked in the sun and swam in the sparkling sea. Staff were inside but made it clear they didn't want to talk about what had happened. The owners of neighbouring businesses felt the same way. British tourists who'd been in Monaghans before the shooting described it as a friendly bar. Gangland shooting in Spanish bar captured on CCTV Spain bar shootings: Who were Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr? Murder and mayhem: The story of Glasgow's deadly gang feud They said a group of Scottish men were watching the Champion's League final in the pub before the shooting. They were boisterous but not behaving badly and Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan were with them. Those men would have witnessed the horrifying murders of their friends. A video filmed afterwards showed a Scottish man on the phone, saying "Someone's got shot in the head." David Meddicks from Glasgow had left the bar with his wife a couple of hours before. He recalled: "We went back to our hotel for food and later on at the reception of the hotel, two wee Spanish women ran in, shouting "bang, bang, bang, bang." "We looked and we could see the police and all the blue lights. We had been thinking of going back down for another drink and decided not to bother. So I'm quite glad I didn't." An Englishman who been in the pub said: "We were there an hour before and walked back later and found out what happened. "It made us want to go home, to be quite honest. You go away on holiday and you don't expect this. Really frightening." Another tourist, Robert Sorman from Bathgate, said: "You've heard of the Costa Del Crime but you never expect it to happen when you're here." An elite Costa Del Sol-based anti-drug and organised crime unit is heading the investigation, reporting to a local magistrate who is in charge of the inquiry overall. The Spanish police have said very little in public so far and there has been no official confirmation of the identity of the two victims. Reporters with experience of investigations in Spain say that's not unusual and to be fair, police in Scotland rarely speak about ongoing inquiries into organised crime unless they absolutely have to. The Spanish will be seeking the assistance of Police Scotland to get intelligence on the background of the two men, and it's likely that Scottish detectives will be travelling to the Costa Del Sol at some point. The UK's National Crime Agency has full-time staff in Spain who will be facilitating such co-operation. There is speculation that the shootings are linked to the ongoing gangland feud in central Scotland which has resulted in dozens of incidents, including alleged attempted murders, and more than 40 arrests. Some of the people targeted in the violence are linked to the Daniels crime group - long-time rivals of another serious organised crime group, the Lyons family, of which Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan were members. But their murders would represent a massive escalation in the level of violence compared to what has gone before. The killings of two senior figures from the Scottish underworld in a bar in a foreign country is unprecedented. It's possible that it was unrelated to the feud; that something else lies behind it. One thing's certain; Police Scotland will be deeply concerned about revenge attacks and more bloodshed. As one former officer put it: "This won't go unavenged forever."
