Two Teens Jailed for Life Over Murder of Teen Refugee
Vanushan Balakrishnan, 18, from Waylands, Hillingdon, and Ilyas Suleiman, 18, of St Jeromes Grove, Hillingdon, were sentenced at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 10 May, for the murder of 16-year-old Rishmeet Singh.
Balakrishnan was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 24 years behind bars. Suleiman received life imprisonment with at least 21 years to serve.
Victim Mistakenly Targeted in Terrifying Attack
Both defendants were found guilty of murder. Friends of the victim showed incredible bravery during the trial, bravely recounting the horrific last moments of Rishmeet’s life.
Rishmeet and his family had fled Jalalabad in October 2019 seeking asylum in the UK. But shockingly, the court revealed Rishmeet was not involved in any gang activity. The killers had simply mistaken him as a rival target.
Damning Digital Evidence Links Killers to Crime
- Just six hours before his arrest on 2 December, Balakrishnan wrote on his phone: “He tripped and got dipped into my dank.”
- An image from Balakrishnan’s phone shows a bloody long knife on his bed, taken hours before the murder. The weapon itself was never found by police.
- Officers discovered Suleiman’s college enrolment form in Balakrishnan’s room – proving the pair knew each other.
Suleiman’s Dramatic Disappearance and Arrest
Police searched Suleiman’s home on 2 December 2021 after he became a wanted man. Reportedly missing by his mother two days later, Suleiman was hiding from the law.
He was finally caught on 9 December 2021 at an Edgware address. By then, he had drastically changed his hairstyle and switched phones to dodge investigators. The phone used to book the taxi on the day of the murder was untraceable.
Both Balakrishnan and Suleiman now face the full force of the law following their conviction.
