Teen Jailed for Life After Machete Murder in Maidstone Nightclub Brawl
A 17-year-old boy has been locked up for a minimum of 20 years after stabbing a man to death during a violent rampage in Maidstone.
Brutal Attack with Machete
Vasilios Ofogeli, from Hornsey, North London, plunged a machete into 21-year-old Andre Bent during a chaotic fight outside a Maidstone nightclub in the early hours of August 25, 2019. Andre was unarmed and died at the scene after a single stab wound to the chest. Three others were also injured but have since recovered.
Ofogeli and his friends travelled south from London to the Bank Street area for a club night that ended just before 3am. CCTV showed punches flying, belts swinging, and Ofogeli concealing his face with a hood before he launched his deadly attack.
Fugitive Caught After Rap Videos Lead Police to Hideout
After the stabbing, Ofogeli fled to Greece. But police tracked him down using rap videos he posted online. Detectives pinpointed his home address from the computer linked to the uploads, then found that he had flown to Athens mere hours after the murder.
He was arrested at Stansted Airport on August 31 following a search that uncovered the weapon hidden in a neighbour’s garden.
Justice for Victim and Maidstone Community
“Andre Bent was a popular and much-loved young man with his whole life ahead of him, but his future was cut short by Vasilios Ofogeli in the worst way imaginable,” said Detective Chief Inspector Patrick Milford.
“There is no excuse for anyone to go out armed with a knife or cause such serious harm. This was a fast-paced investigation showing our commitment to justice for Andre’s family and the people of Maidstone.”
“Ofogeli is fully deserving of the lengthy prison sentence he will now have to serve.”
Ofogeli was found guilty of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and wounding with intent at Maidstone Crown Court in March 2020. He was sentenced to life imprisonment at London’s Central Criminal Court in May.
