The man who stabbed retailer Jashbhai Patel to death in his Luton store has been sent to prison for life.
Richard Leslie Dettmer pleaded guilty to murder on the first day of his trial and was then sentenced to a minimum of 31-and-a-half years in prison.
The attack took place on June 14 of this year when Jashbhai, who was also known as Mr Moon, was found slumped on the shop floor suffering from multiple stab wounds in what was believed by Bedfordshire police to be a botched robbery. He was rushed to Luton and Dunstable hospital where he later died.
Andrew Parsons was also jailed for assisting Dettmer in changing his appearance after the murder. Parsons helped him shave his head and changed his blood-stained clothes. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Judge John Bevan took into account Parsons' help with the police investigation.
Jashbhai's store, Moon Newsagents, had been closed since his death, but his family reopened it the day before Dettmer was sentenced and have begun trading again. In a statement, Jashbhai's daughter Jaina said that they were "learning to live again, but things will never be the same".
Richard Leslie Dettmer pleaded guilty to murder on the first day of his trial and was then sentenced to a minimum of 31-and-a-half years in prison.
The attack took place on June 14 of this year when Jashbhai, who was also known as Mr Moon, was found slumped on the shop floor suffering from multiple stab wounds in what was believed by Bedfordshire police to be a botched robbery. He was rushed to Luton and Dunstable hospital where he later died.
Andrew Parsons was also jailed for assisting Dettmer in changing his appearance after the murder. Parsons helped him shave his head and changed his blood-stained clothes. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Judge John Bevan took into account Parsons' help with the police investigation.
Jashbhai's store, Moon Newsagents, had been closed since his death, but his family reopened it the day before Dettmer was sentenced and have begun trading again. In a statement, Jashbhai's daughter Jaina said that they were "learning to live again, but things will never be the same".
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